New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-07
100000 Foes of
War Enrolled, Is
Pacifsts' Boast
Countrywide Membership
Is Growing by Leaps
and Bounds
Are Active in rs Cities
Peoples Council, Which Aids
Draft Resisters, Taking Other
Societies Under Wing
Are Active in rs Cities

propaganda, promoted by extensive
correspondence and travelling organlz-
ers, the peace societies are growing II
membership with leaps and bounds.
Their purpose is to stir up people to
combat the var preparations going on
at Washington, TO demand IAN early
reace," to arouse antagonism 10 the
CONSUMPTION law by demanding" its
repeal, and, by a show Of strength IN
numbers, TO encourage those who
otherwise would BE silent to come out
squarely against the war.
Their rapid growth is evidenced by
the thousands of letters which pour in
daily from all parts of the country
from people who pledge moral and
financial support to the peace move
ment.
Claims 100000 Adherents
The Peoples Council claims that
since its inception last May it has
gained 100000 peace adherents. AT
It's office, 2 West Thirteenth Street, 1t
keeps fifteen stenographers busy
clicking typewriters 10 answer It's
steadily growing correspondence. The
council receives 500 letters day,
mostly from persons who, in answer to
literature sent them, write pledging
their support. 1t has branches in sew
enty-fve cities, and has taken under
its wing 400 organizations, mostly OF
pacifist tendencies. 1t recently organ
lied a legal bureau, headed by Morris
Hillquit, Winter Russell, Jacob Pan
ken and William O. Hart, which is to
be extended throughout the country
to help men who resist the draft.
people who regard the peace move
ment as negligible would be omazed to
learn the facts said Louis p. Lschner,
executive secretary of the council, yes
terday. "They would only have TO
scan some of the letters which come to
US to learn that hundreds of thousands
of men and women, not only in the big
cities, but in the remote country dis
tricts, have been silent in their opposl-
ton to the war just because they
thought they were alone and, beinG
alone, were afraid to speak. These
people, on learning that there is big
organized peace movement, have felt
encouraged and are rapidly making
their sentiments known.
I'VE are constantly adding to our
branches in seventy-five cities. Organ
izers are constantly on the move help
ing the pacifists in various localities TO
organize and become part OF us. In
California, where DR.. David Starr Jor-
dan has been active, we have a large
following. Senator La Follette's stand
against the war has created an in
fuential peace body in Wisconsin, and
the same is true of North Dakota on
account of the views of Senator Gronna.
To Expand Peace Movement
AT our convention in Minneapolis,
which will begin on September /, we
expect further to expand the peace
movement by creating an organization
which will sit more or less permanent
ly' to crystalline the sentiment for
peace. This organization probably will
hold sessions in Washington and will
be kind of open forum for the ex-
preston Of peace views"
Those who are supporting the Peo-
pies Councils activities include John
d. Works, former Senator from Cali
fornia; Emily Greene Balch, Joseph d.
Cannon, Mary Ware bennett, Crystal
Eastman, Max Eastman, Fola La Fol-
lette, daughter of Senator La Toilette;
Max Pine, Rabbi Judah L. Magnes, DR..
Jenkin Lloyd Jones, of Chicago; Scott
Nearing, Bishop Paul Jones, of Utah /;
Howard Melish, Arthur La Sueur, Max
Pine and Algernon Lee. Senator La
Toilette and Senator Gronna recently
wrote letters encouraging the move
ment.
The council embraces, also, the Work
mems Council, 175 East Broadway
which claims to have 100000 pacifst
members in New York City. The
Workmen's Council, Of which Jacob
Panken is chairman, was recently in
vestigated by Samuel Gompers, follow.
ing reports that it was exerting a pro-
German influence.
Forty Lawyers on STAFF
The Peoples Council Is associated
with the Bureau of Legal First Aid, 70
Fifth Avenue. This bureau has OBJ
tanned the services of forty New York
lawyers to defend the cases Of con-
scientious directors. The legal staff is
in charge of Winter Russell. The work
of the bureau dovetals with that of
other pacifist propagandists. in that II
has undertaken the legal work for the
American Union Against Militarism
and the Socialist party. Scores of con-
scentious directors daily throng the
bureaus office in search of information
to help them out of their dilemma In
refusing TO be drafted.
Another affiliated peace organization
whose propaganda work is assuming
national scope is the Civil Liberties
Bureau, also at 20 Fifth Avenue. This
bureau, under the direction of Roger n
Baldwin, is sending through the mails
announcements which give the names
of lawyers in thirty-six cities who
have agreed to defend free speech
and conscientious DIRECTORS cases.
The result is that its office also is
flooded with letters from persons who
write that since they read the liter
ature sent them they have been en-
boldened to come out openly in opposi.
ton to the war preparations.
One typical letter, written by stock
raiser at Inez, Tex, says:
81 read with much interest your lit
erature and also that OF your sister