This brings us to the US in 1933. The same concerns that terrified Italy’s wealthy and powerful in 1917 now plagued the financial and industrial titans in the US. Extremely wealthy Americans were concerned about unions gaining more power, the risk of the monetary system leaving the gold standard, and having to pay for expensive social programs—but most importantly, they feared the rise of whom they considered to be a Socialist President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. A small group of industrialists began to hatch a plan to do what the Italians had done, and take the government by force. They had ample funding and a general plan that had been proven effective by the Italians. All they needed was a leader who was trusted and respected by the many disgruntled US World War I veterans. They needed retired Major General Smedley Darlington Butler.
Born in 1881 in West Chester, Pennsylvania, just outside Philadelphia, Smedley Butler was the eldest of three sons. His father was a lawyer, judge, and politician, ultimately serving in the House of Representatives for 31 years. In high school, Smedley became captain of the baseball team and quarterback of the football team. Just shy of age 17, he quit high school and joined the marines so he could fight in the Spanish American War.
Butler lied about his age to receive a direct commission as a Marine second lieutenant. In his autobiography Butler claims that at the time he “didn’t weigh 140 pounds soaking wet.” I believe this quote is referenced in the puzzle. One British stone equals 14 pounds, so “Beneath the tenth stone” would translate into under 140 pounds.
He quickly rose through the ranks, achieving the level of captain shortly before turning 19. He exhibited bravery time and time again, receiving the Medal of Honor twice. Butler became the youngest Marine Corps major general at the age of 48. There are seven steps from the rank of second lieutenant up to major general. (“Seven steps up you can hop.”)
Butler was invited, in 1924, by Mayor W. Freeland Kendrick to become Philadelphia's Director of Public Safety. He accepted the job and worked tirelessly to improve public safety and reduce corruption. I believe this is why the Liberty Bell is referenced in the image.
When Butter entered the marines, his political views were solidly conservative. However, after years of experiencing the economic factors that influenced the actions of the US armed forces, his politics shifted dramatically “From right to left.”
By the end of his career, Butler was the most decorated soldier in the history of the Marine Corps. After leaving the service, Butler became an activist for veterans’ rights. He was a big supporter of the “Bonus Army,” a large group of veterans and veteran supporters who lobbied Congress for early payments of bonds issued to veterans prior to the war. He ran for the US Senate in Pennsylvania but lost badly in the Republican primary. His fame and good standing with veteran’s groups combined with his superior leadership qualities made him the obvious tip of the spear in a plot similar to the successful Italian fascist coup.
In 1933, Butler was approached by Gerald C. MacGuire and Bob Doyle. MacGuire and Doyle were members of the American Legion, a pro-veterans organization. During their first meeting with Butler, MacGuire and Doyle asked the General to speak at a Legion convention in Chicago, claiming they wanted to point out the various problems with the Legion’s leadership. Butler was at first open to this idea, as the men made good points. However, during their second meeting, MacGuire showed Butler bank statements amounting to $100,000, which he wanted Butler to use to promote the convention. Butler knew that this large sum of money couldn’t possibly have come from the financially strapped veterans. Furthermore, the speech MacGuire wanted Butler to deliver had little to do with veterans. It was critical of President Roosevelt and in particular denounced the recent move away from the gold standard. This move was seen as risky by the financial and banking industries.
The retired general became suspicious and asked to meet with MacGuire’s superiors. He soon found himself speaking with Robert Sterling Clark, an heir to the Singer Sewing fortune. Clark told Butler that his real interest was in preserving the gold standard, and that he was willing to spend large sums of money to that end.
Butler flatly refused to speak at the convention, and in the following months heard from MacGuire only sparingly, receiving occasional postcards from him as he traveled through Europe, including Italy, Germany, and France.
Upon returning to the States, MacGuire met with Butler again admitting that the money he had gathered came mostly from wealthy industrialists. He expressed to Butler that he felt the only way to prevent FDR’s socialist policies from destroying the country was to create a military state run by former servicemen, with Roosevelt serving as only a figurehead and Butler as the actual leader. MacGuire told Butler that he would be the ideal leader of these veterans, and suggested that they could provide whatever funds were needed and an army of 500,000 men for a march on the White House to subdue Roosevelt.
As reported in the New York Post, Butler said his response to the offer was, “Of course I told the leaders of this fascist movement that I didn’t want any part of fascism or any other ism, and that I wouldn’t consider any other such proposition. The whole affair smacked of treason to me.”
Butler knew he would need a second person of good reputation to corroborate his story if he was going to report the planned coup. Butler obtained the cooperation of Philadelphia Record writer Paul Comly French to serve as a witness to the next meeting. MacGuire took French into his confidence and told him that he believed a fascist state was the only way to save America, and that in pursuit of that end Butler “could organize one million men overnight,” and that was why they had approached him.
In November 1934, Butler and French appeared before the Special Committee on Un-American Activities, and described the plot to them in great detail. The plot was so shocking and included so many well known and respected names, that the committee was skeptical, writing in their initial report that they saw no reason to subpoena men like John W. Davis, a former presidential hopeful, or Thomas W. Lamont, a partner with J.P. Morgan & Company. Others implicated in the plot included the DuPont family, Grayson M. P. Murphy, and Prescott Bush, the grandfather of future President George W. Bush.
After consistent testimony from French, and erratic accounts from MacGuire, the committee decided to further investigate the plot. The committee's final report found that all of Butler’s claims could be corroborated as factual. However, they also pointed out that the plot was in its early stages and was unlikely to have been enacted. In the end, the committee’s final report was not made public. No one was ever indicted and news coverage soon faded.
Butler continued to advocate for veterans. In 1935 he published a short book, War is a Racket, a condemnation of the profit motives behind US warfare. Here’s a excerpt from his book:
I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.
From 1935 to 1937 Butler was a spokesman for the American League Against War and Fascism. MacGuire, on the other hand, did not fare as well. On March 25, 1935, he died at the age of 36 from complications related to pneumonia.
It’s hard to say for sure if the coup would have gone forward if Butler hadn’t taken it upon himself to report it. But it is certainly safe to say that once reported, the plot was foiled. We may never know exactly how much we owe Major General Smedley Darlington Butler. Regardless, he was, without a doubt, a great American hero.
You may at this point cry foul because the coup attempt I’ve sighted has absolutely nothing to do with Cleveland. You’d be right about that. To the best of my knowledge, it does not. But who’s to say that it must. That’s what makes these puzzles so challenging. There are no rules. The secret of The Secret could be anything, as long as it’s a secret and in keeping with Byron’s character.
At this point in my research I was convinced I’d figured out the secret of The Secret for Cleveland. All of the outstanding questions had been answered—the number 1881, the Liberty Bell, the keystone, the WWI helmet, and couplet—all except the word birch. How could this word possibly relate to the Business Plot? If you want to play along, stop reading now, do your own research, and see if you can figure it out. It took me a while.
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