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According to Why Hasn't the U.S. Gone Metric?:

In the 1970s, some opponents suggested that metric road signs would facilitate a Russian invasion.

This ("... some opponents suggested...") sounds very likely, but it's true?

The exhaustive report A History of the Metric System Controversy in the United States was published in 1971...

user2864740
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Martín-Blas Pérez Pinilla
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    Russia is mentioned in the exhaustive report several times, not as a potential invader but in reference to its metrication history (along with other countries). The first link refers to "English" units (we call them imperial units) and claims the gallon standard was held in London, which I don't believe because the US gallon isn't the same volume as the imperial gallon, and so I don't rate it with much credibility, nor its unsubstantiated claim that "some opponents suggested that metric road signs would facilitate a Russian invasion." It makes sense as a comedy gag, not as a serious argument. – Weather Vane Jul 03 '20 at 16:58
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    Back when there was a push to make US road mileage indicators use metric units (which I'm thinking was the late 60s - early 70s) there was a fairly strong conspiracy theory going around that this was somehow a "Communist" thing. And I suspect that was a major reason for the failure of the effort. – Daniel R Hicks Jul 03 '20 at 17:12
  • [This 1978 newspaper article](https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19780218&id=AuVLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GIsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6695,2596332&hl=en) cites letters sent by the public to the Federal Highway Administration regarding metrication. Some do cite communism as a concern, but none of those quoted mention an invasion specifically. – Nate Eldredge Jul 03 '20 at 17:20
  • There's some other mentions in [this review](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/24/books/review/whatever-happened-to-the-metric-system-by-john-bemelmans-marciano.html) of *Whatever Happened to the Metric System?* by John Bemelmans Marciano. The book itself might have more information if someone could find it. – Nate Eldredge Jul 03 '20 at 17:28
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    And [here](https://www.cbc.ca/archives/entry/is-the-metric-system-a-communist-plot) is an entertaining 1977 interview of metric opponent Dean Krakel by Canada's CBC. Again, lots of communism-related objections, but no specific mention of invasions. – Nate Eldredge Jul 03 '20 at 17:30
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    This question can pretty much only be answered in one direction. Demonstrating that *no-one* made the claim will be infeasible. – Oddthinking Jul 04 '20 at 18:29
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    In the US there is almost certainly at least one person who suggested that *any* conspiracy theory is true. – DJClayworth Jul 04 '20 at 22:24
  • @Oddthinking, the funny thing is that exploring Quora a few hours ago I've found a (supposed) witness: https://www.quora.com/Why-did-the-metric-system-fail-to-catch-on-in-the-US/answer/Nelson-Workman. This counts as proof? – Martín-Blas Pérez Pinilla Jul 04 '20 at 22:33
  • @Martín-BlasPérezPinilla: "Proof" of what? That someone made the argument in the 1970s? It's very weak evidence. That it is a notable claim? It helps, but the OP has that covered. – Oddthinking Jul 05 '20 at 02:26
  • @Oddthinking, obviously it's very weak evidence. And obviously, "[d]emonstrating that no-one made the claim will be infeasible." But saying "the claim is not duly sourced" can be considered a legitimate answer? – Martín-Blas Pérez Pinilla Jul 05 '20 at 08:47
  • @Martín-BlasPérezPinilla: There seems to be a piece missing. Who says the claimant is relying on the hazy memory of this Quora user and not on, say, op-ed pieces from the New York Times archives? – Oddthinking Jul 05 '20 at 10:21
  • @Oddthinking, I'm *excluding* the memory of the Quora user as source. In any case, the NYT article is older than the Quora post. – Martín-Blas Pérez Pinilla Jul 05 '20 at 10:37
  • @Martín-BlasPérezPinilla: Well, then I am lost, sorry. What was your original question? – Oddthinking Jul 05 '20 at 13:27
  • @Oddthinking, "In the 1970s, some opponents suggested that metric road signs would facilitate a Russian invasion." Maybe the Slate article and the Quora user are right. Maybe the author of the Slate article had a vague/second knowledge of "Metric Madness...". Maybe... (and NYT -> Slate in my previous comment) – Martín-Blas Pérez Pinilla Jul 05 '20 at 15:41
  • @Martín-BlasPérezPinilla: I am politely bowing out of this conversation. There's nothing that needs me. Maybe the Slate author was right, but that's the question to be answered. – Oddthinking Jul 06 '20 at 17:32
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    Related, but not a duplicate: [Is this metric system video, apparently taken from Fox news, a deep fake?](https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/47829). Conspiracy thinking in the US against the metric system continues to this day. – David Hammen Jul 08 '20 at 14:11
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    IDK, but I remember, around that same time, some people whispered that blue labels on the reverse side of highway signs were intended to lead blue-helmeted U.N. troops to their assigned posts when they invaded the U.S.A. Sad to say, there was no internet back in those days, so if there's any record of that particular conspiracy theory, I'm sorry to say that I won't be able to retrieve it without getting up out of this chair. – Solomon Slow Jul 10 '20 at 16:07

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Latest date and not the same claim, but... quote from Meet the Sole Employee of the U.S. Metric Program:

As the years went on, the Metric system wasn't only derided as confusing. It was a communist conspiracy! If the Americans converted under a multi-million dollar price tag, it was prime time for the Soviets to invade our weakened economy, according to the author of the 1981 book Metric Madness: Over 150 Reasons for NOT Converting to the Metric System.

Martín-Blas Pérez Pinilla
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