THE “SILVER SHIRT” BACKGROUND OF BALLARDISM

 

 

By Gerald B. Bryan

 

Within a period of less than a decade, America has seen the rise and growth of two remarkable movements which bear an odd resemblance to each other.

 

William Dudley Pelley’s “Silver Shirts of America,” the first of the two movements, started originally simply as a metaphysical venture, the result of a personal psychic experience, which strangely enough, occurred while residing at a mountain cottage in California.

 

The Ballard “Mighty I AM” movement, as we have seen, started the same way, with its originator claiming his first contact with Comte de St. Germain on the side of a mountain in California.

 

The recent reports of the House Committee to Investigate Un-American Activities, under the chairmanship of Martin Dies of Texas, have given the Pelley Silver Shirt movement front-page headlines, revealing to the public that for years it has not been a “metaphysical” organization as in the beginning, but is a political body which the Dies Committee believes to be un-American in that it is included in the “Nazi-Fascist groups” engaged in “aping the methods of foreign dictators” and attempting “to bring about a radical change in the American form of government.” (Associated Press Dispatch, August 31, 1939.)

 

This book will reveal that the Ballard cult, too, is really a political movement and that its metaphysics, among other things, is largely engaged in an effort to bring about a weird sort of government in the United States.

 

The Pelley organization, as a matter of fact, supplied the pattern for some of the Ballard work, and evidence supporting this will soon be given. The Ballards, however, kept out of their movement the Silver Shirts’ well-known hatred of the Jew, and have denounced other “enemies” instead.

 

There is so much similarity between the two organizations, it is well from the standpoint of psychological study and history to bring this out.

 

Pelley was a writer, a most clever wielder of the pen. Back in 1917 he was in the Orient on what he states to have been Christian missionary work; and after varied experiences there, he returned in 1919 to the United States to resume his writings and newspaper career. Around this time he became interested, he says, in “Secret Service investigations,” and claimed to have had “contacts with some of the biggest men in the Hoover administration.”

 

Ballard in his later years became also a writer, claims to have spent a couple of years in the Orient, and his “Secret Service connections” and his “Government contacts” are most remarkable, as we shall find.

 

In 1929, Pelley wrote the article which publicized his name throughout the nation. It was the story of a personal psychic experience entitled “Seven Minutes in Eternity,” in which he related how, while residing at a lonely bungalow in the Sierra Madre Mountains near Pasadena, California, he suddenly one night left his physical body lying on the bed and consciously soared away into that undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler is supposed to return. But Pelley did return, and he told a graphic story of his sojourn there. Later he published messages purporting to come from “Masters,” who began to direct and influence his new life work.

 

Similarly, Messenger Ballard, shortly after the appearance of the Pelley article, wrote up his own psychic experiences, which came to him in 1930, he said, while living at a lodge at the foot of a California mountain. He, too, left his body, and great and mighty “Ascended” Masters dictated marvelous discourses to him.

 

The American Magazine, which had published the Pelley story, was almost swamped, we understand, with mail in regard to it. It appears that the whole country at that time was having psychic experiences, and overnight almost Pelley had a tremendous following. All the letter-writing psychics in the land, it seems, wrote in giving their own personal experiences — and called for more from the fluent and graphic Pelley.

 

Obligingly, the new metaphysical leader gave his readers plenty of them, as indeed has the leader of the Mighty I AM cult which followed so soon after the start of Pelleyism.

 

Pelley’s magazine, then named “The New Liberator,” was started —an artistic but rather lurid creation— and he filled it with occult articles by himself and psychic messages from great “Masters.” But never were they as numerous and as notorious as the Ballard “Ascended Masters.”

 

Gradually, Pelley’s psychism took on a political coloring and flavor, and it wasn’t long before he was publishing stirring ideas and plans about a “New Government” in America — as did Ballard shortly afterwards.

 

Political headquarters were established at Asheville, N.C. in 1932, and his “Foundation for Christian Economics” was started at about the time Ballard was assertedly receiving his religion-patriotic messages over the marvelous “Light and Sound Ray” at his home in Chicago.

 

At the beginning of 1933, Pelley started his now famous Silver Legion, and felt the egoic thrill of fascist rule over his legionnaires or “storm troops” organized in many parts of the country. In much the same way have the fascistic-minded leaders of the Mighty I AM cult organized their patriotic bands of Minute Men — the “storm troops” of the movement.

 

In the fall of 1936, after Pelley had recovered from certain adverse court decisions and indictments at Asheville, N.C., he organized his “Christian Party” and announced his candidacy for the President of the United States — an office to which it will be seen Ballard himself has felt himself peculiarly fitted!

 

Three and a half years later, after many vicissitudes of fortune and after some months of search for him by the Dies committee, Pelley in the early part of 1940 appeared before that committee to answer certain charges allegedly to the effect that “he is a racketeer engaged in mulcting thousands of dollars annually from his fanatical and misled followers and credulous people all over the United States and Canada and certain foreign countries.” (Associated Press Dispatch, Jan. 3, 1940.)

 

It is not within the scope of this book to consider whether the Dies committee was or was not justified in making the above allegations concerning Pelley. We desire merely to point out the startling parallel between these two movements and to show by actual evidence that so far as the Ballard movement is concerned the Dies committee, if it had gone into the matter, could have brought out justifiably, we believe, similar charges against Saint Germain’s “Mighty I AM” movement.

 

We shall complete the parallel between the two movements by quoting Associated Press Dispatch of February 8, 1940, giving an account of Pelley’s appearance before the Dies committee:

 

“With a trace of wistfulness, William Dudley Pelley, leader of the Silver Shirts, told the Dies committee today that if his organization had succeeded in its purposes, he ‘probably’ would be in charge of the government now.

 

“And in that case, he continued, he ‘probably’ would have put into effect something resembling Adolf Hitler’s policies with respect to the Jews, although he said he does not endorse Hitler’s exact methods.”

 

It is this Pelley Silver Shirt movement which Guy and Edna Ballard were particularly interested in previous to the publication of Unveiled Mysteries, and, as will be shown, they tried to build a foundation upon Pelley’s organization in an effort to launch their own Mighty I AM movement.

 

In order to show this Silver Shirt background of the Ballard movement we shall now have to refer to a certain meeting which was held in the summer of 1934 at the Ballard home on 84th Place, Chicago.

 

To this meeting was invited the treasurer of the Pelley organization, some additional Pelleyites, and others interested in metaphysical and patriotic movements. It was the first regular ten-day class ever held by the Ballards, and it is important because what transpired there indicates clearly the early efforts of their invisible “Saint Germain” to lay plans for a “New Government” in America which was to be formed more of less along the line previously described by Pelley in his writings.

 

During this ten-day class, messages from “Saint Germain” were read by Mrs. Ballard to those present, a little group of ten, who were pledged to secrecy.

 

One of those messages is especially significant. It is dated August 3, 1934, and we shall quote freely from it in this chapter. In it, this so-called Saint Germain shows rather excellent understanding of human nature by the fact that he first flatters those whom he was about to use. To aid him in this, he drew on his long memory of the past, going back some seventy thousand years! He told those flattered students of their past incarnations! He recited their marvelous achievements! They had all done great and stirring things! All of them had been associated with him before! They would even be closer to him now!

 

They would now have a part to play in bringing the new civilization into America! “These beloved students,” it begins, “are all far advanced souls with whom we have been closely associated before wherein very great Light has reigned. All of this group that are here were in association in the civilization of 70,000 years ago where the Sahara Desert now is.”

 

Saint Germain then went on in this first message to his “Beloved Friends of Long Ago,” to tell them about the marvelous work they did in that earlier government. He told them of their wonderful genius in the past so convincingly that the disparity of this genius with their present abilities did not at that time seem to occur to these flattered students. It is only fair to state, however, that most of these early disciples turned apostates to the faith and were not parties to the cult’s later political designs.

 

Then in this private, secret document Saint Germain launched into a consideration of political and governmental matters, showing clearly the early desire of this “Ascended Master” for some sort of ruler-ship over the kingdoms of earth, particularly that of America. We quote:

 

“All have come into this life with the desire to assist in perfecting or bringing into perfection that government of long ago into America at this time.”

 

Some of these students, as stated, were or had been members of William Dudley Pelley’s Silver Shirts of America. They were interested, therefore, in Saint Germain’s statement that they would have a part in bringing the New Government into America — for had not Pelley himself been preaching the same thing to his disciples?

 

However, at the time that “Saint Germain” allegedly dictated this message, summer of 1934, Pelley was in difficulty with the courts of North Carolina. For months, his publications were suppressed and the radio denied him. It appeared for a time that his strong nationally organized political movement might disintegrate. Therefore, Saint Germain, astute politician that he was, addressed his remarks mainly to Pelley’s sympathizers or dissenters in the group, with the intent no doubt of taking over the followers of this other movement.

 

“The first and essential thing to the perfection of that plan,” he said, meaning the plan of his “New Government,” “is being given.” Then referring to Pelley’s political order, he said:

 

“In Christian Democracy are splendid ideals possible of achievement.” Later, referring to Pelley’s economic textbook, he said:

 

“The Plan of No More Hunger is not entirely correct, but the full plan of it will be revealed as you move forward.”

 

Having stated that Pelley’s political order had “splendid ideals possible of achievement,” he hints that there is a more “correct” plan — his own of course.

 

In this document, Saint Germain refers also to other economic orders which followed the depression of 1929, mentioning the Utopian Society of America, Plenocracy, the Paul Revere activity, and suggests that some of these other movements could also be brought into “harmonious concord” with his own activity.

 

In fact, this adept at building upon the work of others, was astute enough to make the originator of Plenocracy his own personal “Messenger,” subject, of course, to the orders of the Ballards! “In Plenocracy,” he says, “are splendid ideals.” Then he goes on to indicate how “other ideas” —his own of course— could be blended into it. Artfully, he tells his “Friends of Long Ago”:

 

“Neither Christian Democracy nor Plenocracy are perfect within themselves, but each has within it that upon which a foundation can be built.

 

“I think it would be much wiser for those knowing Mr. Pelley to work from the standpoint of Christian Democracy, and then as it can be done, other ideas be blended into it until the harmonious way of life can be presented to them. . . .

 

“Mr. Pelley was unprepared when the awakening came. Hence, it has made the activity very difficult, but if in all, or as rapidly as possible, the attention can be drawn to the constructive activity, I feel that very great good can come from it. . . .

 

“Unveiled Mysteries and The Magic Presence [the Ballard textbooks], with Mr._____’s [naming Pelley’s treasurer] activity in the knowledge of the Mighty I AM Presence, will harmonize and prepare the Pelley group. . . .

 

“It would not be wise for Mr. Pelley to have the discourses verbatim, unless sometime he wishes to come and receive them as the other students have done.”

 

Thus did “Saint Germain” endeavor at that time to take over the followers of another movement. The plan, too, was to interest the Chief of the Silver shirts in their “Saint Germain” and in their newly published book, and they wanted him to come to Chicago to get the instruction directly.

 

Indeed, Pelley’s interest went so far that while in Chicago he had a visit with the Ballards.

 

But why should the Chief of the Silver Legionnaires, so accustomed to giving his own orders and contacting his own “Masters,” play second fiddle and take orders from Saint Germain’s three and only “Accredited Messengers,” the two Ballards and their 16-year-old son Donald?

 

So Pelley declined Saint Germain’s kind thought of having him study under the Ballards, and the Chief of the Silver Shirts has been without the questionable protection of the “Ascended Master” ever since.

 

However, even though the Ballards were unsuccessful in winning over the Chief himself, they won over Pelley’s treasurer and right-hand man. They played for him as an angler does a prized catch, and when he went to Chicago, they clinched the matter by having Saint Germain make him nothing less than “The Associate Director of the Saint Germain Activities!”

 

Additionally showing the Silver Shirt background of the Ballard cult, we quote the following unsolicited letter from the Pelley Publishers, Asheville, N.C. It is dated January 10, 1938.

 

“It might interest you to know that Mrs. Ballard was a student of Mr. Pelley’s spiritual philosophy before she launched upon her purported mission to “save” Christian America. All her writings and teachings are full of material which she appropriated from Mr. Pelley’s writings.”

 

Edna Ballard’s interest in the Pelley movement extended over a period of years. At certain secret classed in Chicago, which she started in 1930, she read from Pelley’s scripts and other “New Liberation” literature. During 1930–1932 she was laying the foundation for her own movement, with her husband then only taking a secondary part. In 1932, the two of them blossomed forth with the “Light and Sound Ray” idea; and in 1934, shortly after this secret ten-day class, they left Chicago to launch their national movement, gathering recruits for their “Save America” program largely among disillusioned Pelleyites.

 

 

 

(Psychic Dictatorship in America, chapter 3)