Evening star., 1915-11-27
Representative of Party in
House Discusses the Subject
in Various Phases.
REVEALS HIS PROGRAM
IN THE NEXT CONGRESS
Will Concentrate His Energy Upon
the Procuring of Legislation for =
Non-Employment Insurance.

People are asking why the socialists
in Europe did not prevent the great
war now waging,' said Representative
Meyer London of New York, the so
cialst member of the new House, to-
day.
Il consider the fact that they are
asking that question the greatest com
pilment that could be paid the social
ists,% continued Mr.. London. 1T in
dicates that the people considered that
the socialists were the only force that
could have prevented the war No one
has heard any one ask why did not the
churches prevent the war, and yet the
churches have been preaching the love
of fellowmen for centuries
Mr.. London pointed out that when the
question was asked why the socialists
did not prevent the war, the next ques-
ton in sequence was, why should the
socialists be regarded as the power TO
prevent war?
THE answer to that question is that
in every legislative body in Europe the
socialist members have stood for peace
and against militarism," he said. In eX-
PLANTATION of the part which the social
lists of Germany, France and the othef
countries are now playing in the neld
in Europe, Mr. London said the social
condition of war and that naturally
they fought for their countries.
Just as the socialists in the United
States would fight in defense or TINS
country if it were attacked, he added.
Illustrates His Point.
To illustrate his meaning, Mr.. London
said to the reporter for The Star:
Here we are sitting a peace in this
eta DID nj
cave in and you should find yourself
with my heal in your eye and with
your elbow in my ribs we would soon
start fighting to get out. 1t is the same
way with the socialists who now find
themselves al war
Never in any previous war have the
governments at war insisted that they
We're engaged in a defensive contest
with their enemies alone. Not even in
1870 was this plea made by the govern
ments of France and Germany. But to-
day you find that each of the govern
mepts engaged in the war is claiming
that it was drawn into the strife in de
fense against aggression. That is a
very significant fact. 1t shows a great
advance. 1t SHOWS that the people of a.
nation cannot he carried into an aG-
gressive war by the militarists except
on the eXcuse of defense"
! Mr.. London said he believed that with
the end of the war would come a great
wave of sentiment throughout the
world against war and against mill
tarism. Military preparedness. he said,
he regarded as a menace to peace. AS
for the United States. he said, he re-
garded it as impregnable because of it's
vast Industrial resources as well as its
isolation from the other powers of the
world.
you never heard OF a great indus
trial country being conquered" he
said. when Russia. unorganized in
dustrially, met Germany with her COM
plete industrial organization. what
could you expect except that Germany
should defeat the Russian armies?
Success in war today Is largely a mat
ter of industrial organization. as has
been shown in Europe. With industrial
organization in the United States no
country could conquer it,"
The war in Europe. he said. has
! caused the demand for preparedness
in the United States. the people here
| fearing they know not what
Favors Non-Employmen Insurance.
Mr.. London intends to centralize his
efforts at the coming session of Con-
| gress upon legislation for non employ
ment insurance. He is preparing a
bill providing for insurance against
l'non-employment which he will intro
duce in the House. He said he thought
1t best to bend all his efforts to bring
about such an END than 10 divide his
energies among many objects related
to the socialist. cause. Non-employ-
| ment insurance, he said, eXemplifles
the principles of socialism for which
he stands.
There will be three contributors to
the non employment insurance fund,
the workmen themselves, the employers
and the government" he said. MY
own inclination would be not to have
the government contribute, but it is
necessary in starting the system that
funds be at hand, and I'VE must look
to the government"
Mr.. London explained that under his
plan he would have the insurance for
non unemployment limited to twelve or
fifteen weeks, so as to prevent "1oaf-
ers" from taking advantage OF it. and
abstaining from all work and living off
the insurance. He said, too. that in