Whether the Silver Shirt Legion of America will be permitted to operate in Pennsylvania as a legal corporation will be determined April 25, the date set today by Secretary of State Richard J. Beamish for a public hearing. Application for registration of the society in this State was made by “Chief” William Dudley Pelley, who is directing the Silver Shirts in other parts of the country, and H. F. Sieber of Nasheville, N. C.
Opposition to the application’s being granted was filed by the Jewish War Veterans of Philadelphia, State Senators Harry Shapire and Samuel W. Salus, and Judges Harry S. McDevitt and Joseph Kun, all of Philadelphia.
The decision to hold a public hearing on the application followed a storm of protest that was aroused when the Silver Shirts a week ago announced that they would “open for business” under the State’s non-profit regulation for corporations. Mr. Beamish announced at the time that he had issued instructions to the Bureau of Corporations “to hold up this application and to give to those who are protesting an opportunity to be heard on all phases of the application.” Samuel Einhorn, of B’rith Sholom, Philadelphia, led the protests with a letter to Governor Pinchot in which he explained that the Silver Shirts are the same organization operating elsewhere under Pelley.
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