New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-04
Union of Democratic Con-
troll Likely to Have
Brief Career.
SPEAKERS LUCKY
TO ESCAPE ALIVE
Called Traitors at Meetings
Marked by Scenes of
Wild Rioting.

London, July 23.-The little group of
British pacifsts who call themselves
the "Union of Democratic Control"
seems likely to have a career as brief
as it is unquestionably stormy.
Their leader is Il. d. Morel whom
his opponents invariably .efer TO as
"Deyilie," inviting him to prove that
this is not his real name and that
"Morel" has only been assumed for
business purposes-and among the
thirty-one members are Norman An
gell, j. Ramsay Macdonald, NJ. p; F.
W. Jowett, VI. p; Arthur Ponsonby,
VI. p; Israel Zangwill and the Hon.
Bertrand Russell. Newspapers mainly
refer to them as "Deville and his An
CELLS"
To bring about satisfactory and
early peace is the object of their prop
uganda. Their antagonists, however,
accuse them Of Ginning at bringing
about disunion and disruption in Eng
land, and of being subsidized by Ger
man gold. TRAITORS" is the invariable
term applied to them. and great capital
is made of the fact that they do not
disclose the source of their apparently
ample funds.
One of their means of propagating
their doctrines is ty the distribution of
literature, especially among soldiers,
of a type very similar TO that put out
by German-American in the United
States. These pamphlets are now be-
ing considered by members of the gov
eminent, and indications 20 10 snow
that their suppression may come at any
instant Undoubtedly, the organization
has a great deal Of money behind I,
whatever the source from which 1t
originates. Already list Of fifty or
sixty public meetings has been pre-
pared, and the rent of the buildings
must work out a: very considerable
sum. In London alone programme
Of five or six meetings nightly has
been arranged.
SO far attempts to hold these gath
erings have been singularly unsuc-
cessful The British public seems to
have come to the conclusion that the
speakers are anti-British and pro-Ger-
man, and has signihed its intention or
not allowing them to proceed. 80 lar
every one has ended IN a fierce riot,
and in several cases the speakers nave
been lucky to escape with their lives.
One held at Kingston Thames, at
which Arthur Ponsonby was billed as
the chief speaker, is a good example OF
what is happening everywhere. No
sooner had the chairman risen than an
absolute uproar commenced Rotten
fruit and eggs were hurled at him from
all quarters. Shouts of "Pro-German,
German Gold" Traitor" Coward, y
were heard on all sides. Women and
soldiers in khaki were the loudest IN
these denunciatiors.
Two words formed the extent Of the
chairman's speech. Then the audience,
who were in majority of about 20 20 l
over the paciticists, just threw them
selves at MIN. He was Immediately
buried under an avalanche of men,
while his supporters were swept aside
like chat. One or two of them were
sufficiently i'll advised as to attempt 20
argue. These were taken by the scrun
of the neck and thrown out into the
street. Many of them received severe
injuries in the process. And when the
hall had been cleared to the satlsfac-
ton of the other side, hats, walking
sticks, upturned chairs and forms,
ncckties, pieces Of collars and portions
of clothing made an untidy litter Of the
hOOr.
After the finish of the meeting sol
ders took possession Of the hall and
led the crowd in the singing of Rule
Britannia" The pamphlets which were
i +.I
burned with some ceremony.
Outside a large force Of police man
aged to convoy the sutfragists safely to
the railway station But here bedlam
broke loose afrcsh. Although the gates
we're locked the crowd quickly stormed
these and tried to force the door Of the
waiting rooms. which had been quickly
barricaded Disappointed in this, a
number of men contented themselves
with smashing the windows and hurl-
ing rotten eggs at the covering pac-
fists inside. Finally when these I'M
happy people tried TO make rush for