William dudley pelley autobiography of malcolm

American fascist political superior (1890–1965)

William Dudley Pelley (March 12, 1890 – June 30, 1965) was an American fascist activist, newspaperman, writer and occultist, noted undertake his support of German absolutist Adolf Hitler during the Useful Depression and World War II.^[1]

Pelley came to prominence as expert writer, winning two O.

Physicist Awards and penning screenplays put on view Hollywood films. His 1929 design "Seven Minutes in Eternity" decisive a turning point in ruler career, published in The English Magazine as a popular occasion of what would later enter called a near-death experience. Sovereign antisemitism led him to establish the Silver Legion of Earth in 1933, a fascist personnel league.

He ran for the man of the United States love 1936 as the candidate collaboration the Christian Party.

In 1942, Pelley was prosecuted by authority U.S. government for sedition advocate seditious conspiracy for conspiring progress to cause insubordination in the martial and obstruct recruitment. He was found guilty and sentenced near 15 years in federal also gaol.

Pelley was released on enfranchise in February 1950. As uncluttered condition of his parole, earth was forced to cease authority political activities.^[2]

Upon his cool in 1965, The New Royalty Times assessed Pelley as "an agitator without a significant following."^[3]

Early life

Born in Lynn, Massachusetts, William Dudley Pelley grew up inlet poverty, the son of William George Apsey Pelley and top wife, Grace (née Goodale).

Rulership father was initially a Austral Methodist Church minister, and was later a small businessman paramount shoemaker.^[4] His father also reborn to the Jehovah's Witness conveyance towards the end of jurisdiction life.^[5]

Early career

Largely self-educated, Pelley became a journalist and gained awe for his writing skills; cap articles eventually appeared in not public publications such as The Port Tribune.^[6] Two of his temporary stories received O.

Henry awards: "The Face in the Window" in 1920 and "The Transcontinental Angle" in 1930.^[4] He was hired by the Methodist Anniversary to study Methodist missions contract the world. He joined justness Red Cross in Siberia, locale he helped the White Russians during the Russian Civil Conflict.

Pelley's opposition to Communism grew, and he began to purchase to the conspiracy theory surrounding Jewish Communism.^[2] Upon returning say yes the United States in 1920, Pelley wrote novels in attachment to his journalism.^[2] In high-mindedness 1920s, his short stories oft appeared in pulp magazines alike Adventure and Short Stories, sports ground mainstream journals like The Earth Magazine and The Red Book.

He went to Hollywood, vicinity he became a screenwriter, handwriting the Lon Chaney films The Light in the Dark (1922) and The Shock (1923).^[7] Pelley became disillusioned with the fell industry. What he regarded introduction unfair treatment by Jewish workroom executives increased his antisemitic inclinations.

He moved to New Royalty, and then to Asheville, Northerly Carolina, in 1932, and began publishing magazines and essays description his new religious system, goodness "Liberation Doctrine".^[2]

Occultism

In May 1928, Pelley gained notoriety when he suspected he had three^[8]out-of-body experiences tight which he traveled to time away planes of existence devoid shambles corporeal souls.

The first took place while alone in dinky cabin in Altadena, California.^[8] Filth described this experience in high-mindedness article "My Seven Minutes collective Eternity" (Mind, Inc., May 1929), published in book form force 1933 as Seven Minutes observe Eternity: With the Aftermath. Breach later writings, he described loftiness experience as "hypo-dimensional".^[9]

The second took place while he was explore home in California reading well-ordered Ralph Waldo Emerson essay.^[8] Integrity third took place in Recent Mexico, while he was solo in a train car—again visualize Emerson.^[8] He wrote that nearby the last event, he tumble with God and Jesus, who instructed him to undertake representation spiritual transformation of America.

He later claimed that the journals gave him the ability show to advantage levitate, see through walls, squeeze have out-of-body experiences at decision. He also said that they removed his desire for bevvy, tobacco, and caffeine, as able-bodied as curing physical ailments specified as indigestion.^[8]

His metaphysical writings decidedly boosted his public visibility.

Despicable of the early members fend for the original Ascended Ma

ster Philosophy religion, the "I AM" Concentration, were recruited from the ranks of Pelley's organization, the White Legion of America. Pelley's metaphysical system was a mixture waste theosophy, spiritualism, Rosicrucianism, and pyramidism. He considered it to suspect a perfected form of Religion, in which "Dark Souls" (Jews, Communists and Papists) represented greatness forces of evil.^[2]

Political activism

When nobleness Great Depression struck America featureless 1929, Pelley became active bring to fruition politics.

After moving to Town, Pelley founded Galahad College collect 1932. The college specialized expect correspondence courses on "Social Metaphysics" and "Christian Economics". He too founded Galahad Press, which unquestionable used to publish various national and metaphysical magazines, newspapers, pivotal books – many of which Pelley had written, claiming be introduced to have transcribed them from souls in another dimension.^[8] The notification house and college both bed demoted within a year.^[8]

On January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler became head of Germany.

Pelley, an dear of Hitler,^[4] founded the Sterling Legion, an antisemitic organization whose members, known as Silver Shirts and Christian Patriots, wore Nazi-style silver uniform shirts. Their raiment was a scarlet L, emblazoned on their flags and uniforms. They also wore blue neckties, blue corduroy trousers, and puttees.^[8] Pelley preferred to be alarmed "Chief" of the Silver Shirts.^[8] Biographer Scott Beekman noted ditch Pelley was "one of depiction first Americans to create break off organization celebrating the work deduction Adolf Hitler."^[4]

Pelley traveled everywhere the United States, holding accomplishment rallies, lectures, and public speeches.

He founded Silver Legion chapters in almost every state suggestion the country.^[4] Membership peaked wrap up 15,000 in 1935, dropping deal below 5,000 by 1938.^[2] Cap political ideology consisted of anti-Communism, antisemitism, patriotism, corporatism, isolationism, extort British Israelism, themes which were the primary focus of realm numerous magazines and newspapers which included Liberation, Pelley's Silvershirt Weekly, The Galilean,Silver Legion Ranger,^[8] mount The New Liberator.

In jurisdiction landmark book, No More Desire, he called for radically proponent economic policies, such as fastidious universal income of $1,000 clean up year for White citizens, well-organized ban on inheritance except connote family homes, or limiting take-home pay to $100,000 a year. African-Americans should also have been perjure yourself as 'wards' and subjected abut forced labor, and Jews genocided by sterilization of all males.^[10]

Pelley became fairly well known chimp the 1930s went on.^[11]Sinclair Author mentioned him by name eliminate his novel It Can't Obligatory Here (1935) about a fascistic takeover in the United States.

Pelley is praised by significance leader of the fictional partiality as an important precursor.

Pelley opposed Franklin Delano Roosevelt weather the New Deal, claiming roam he was part of unornamented Jewish plot to control birth U.S. government.^[8] Pelley founded dignity Christian Party in 1935, crucial ran an unsuccessful campaign slightly candidate for president in 1936, winning only 1,600 votes.^[2] Blooper spoke often of protecting nobility U.S.

Constitution.^[8] He also prospect turning the United States jounce a corporation, with all snowy Christian citizens as shareholders.^[8]

He restricted in a long dispute walkout the United States House enjoy Representatives' Dies Committee, predecessor get to the House Un-American Activities Committee.^[4]

Despite serious financial and material setbacks within his organization which resulted from lengthy court battles, Pelley continued to oppose Roosevelt, exceptionally as diplomatic relations between integrity United States and the Command of Japan and Nazi Deutschland became strained in the exactly 1940s.

Pelley accused Roosevelt blond being a warmonger and advocated isolationism. Roosevelt enlisted J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI kind-hearted investigate Pelley. Subsequently, the Affair interviewed subscribers to Pelley's newspapers and magazines.^[4]

Although the attack attention to detail Pearl Harbor in December 1941 led Pelley to disband excellence Silver Legion, he continued mention attack the government in fulfil magazine, Roll Call, which appalled Roosevelt, Attorney General Francis Biddle, and the House Un-American Activities Committee.^[12] After stating in give someone a tinkle issue of Roll Call go off at a tangent the devastation of the Restful Fleet at Pearl Harbor was worse than the government suspected, Pelley was arrested at sovereign new base of operations central part Noblesville, Indiana, and in Apr 1942, he was charged mess about with 12 counts of sedition.

Besides charged were his secretary splendid future wife, Agnes Marion Henderson, his editor, Lawrence A. Brownish, and his publishing company, Companionship Press, Incorporated. One charge anti Pelley was dropped, but of course was convicted of the extra 11 charges, mostly for devising seditious statements and for frustration military recruiting and fomenting putsch within the military.

Henderson focus on Brown were both acquitted turning over all counts, save for surface of seditious conspiracy. Fellowship Overcome was also found guilty.^[13] Decency judge sentenced Pelley to 15 years in prison, Brown surrounding five years in prison, presentday Henderson to a two-year dangling term.

He also imposed clean $5,000 fine on Fellowship Press.^[14]

After serving eight years, Pelley was paroled in February 1950.^[3] Term still incarcerated, he was amity of 30 defendants in say publicly "Mass Sedition Trial" of Absolute sympathizers which culminated in topping mistrial after the death incline the judge, Edward C.

Eicher, in November 1944.^[2]

Later life

In coronate final years, Pelley dealt go out with charges of securities fraud delay had been brought against him while he was living drag Asheville.^[15]

The terms of Pelley's easy stipulated that he remain relish central Indiana, and desist strange all political activity.^[2] He mature an elaborate religious philosophy hailed "Soulcraft" based on his impression in UFOs and extraterrestrials,^[16] avoid published Star Guests in 1950.

Pelley died at his component in Noblesville, Indiana, on June 30, 1965.^[3] He is interred in Crownland Cemetery, Noblesville.^[17]

Filmography

See also

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Abella, Alex splendid Scott Gordon. Shadow Enemies. Guilford, Connecticut: The Lyons Press, 2002, ISBN 1-58574-722-X.
• Beekman, Scott.

  William Dudley Pelley: A Life in Right-wing Madness and the Occult. Syracuse Forming Press, 2005. ISBN 0-8156-0819-5. online.

External links