New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-09
The Menace Of Socialism
Fate of Russia Threatens America
Unless We Act Quickly
tn the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Too much talk and not enough action
concerning a certain brand of Socialists has
given unwonted publicity to breed Of "radi-
Gals" whose proper place is either the insane
asylum or the jail. or an isolated island IN
TIE middle Of the Pacific, where they may
fight it out" among themselves.
The fact that Spargo, Benson, Russell and
other we'll known Socialists in this country
have voiced their protest against the action
CT the so-called revolutionary Socialists who
denounced the CONSUMPTION law is an evil
dence that, while the Socialist party may be
united as to its ultimate objects, it is not as
one as to the methods by which the end may
be obtained.
The fact Of the matter is that by far the
large majority Of the members of the So
cialist party are native born Germans and
Russians who come to this country with the
pent-up hatred for government as it exists in
their respective fatherlands. which is turned
with relentless ferocity on our own govern
ment and the ideals for which it stands
They come to this country with no ade-
quate judgment as to what constitutes the
difference between liberty and license. Their
intelligence is so dwarfed by the conditions
out of which they have emerged that they
eagerly hit right and left Unfortunately at
every form OF restraint which, in their view,
is "capitalistic" in it's origin.
These radical Socialists, particularly the
German Socialists, have for number of
years dominated the Socialist movement in
this country. They point, with some tincture
of fatherlandsh pride, to the growth of So
cialism in Germany. They try to show how,
in Germany, the "proletariat' through the
Socialist party and a cass-conscious hatred
which has no place in this country are
slowly but surely attaining the ascendancy.
Likewise, for years they have pointed out
that the revolution was coming in Russia. 1t
has come.
But in the case of both Germany and Rus
STA the conditions and causes have no part or
relation with conditions in this country.
These men, with distorted vision, see in our
social and economic structure only replica,
in another form, of that which has held the
masses of Russia and Germany in subsection
for so many ages.
Socialist Party PrO-German
When Mr.. Spargo stated that, in essence,
the Socialist party was pro- German, he stated
the fact: first because the recognized leaders
of radical socialism are in Germany; second,
because the Socialist movement has made
greater growth in Germany than in any other
nation; and, third, because the radical So
cialists in this country who dominate the
American Socialist party are themselves pro-
German. All of which would seem TO point
out the skilful hand of Hohenzollernism in
making use of its chief enemy to further its
own ends.
do not know how to meet this growing
menace of radical sociaism-for it is a far
greater menace than the majority of us real-
ize-but do know that these men as a type
ere not yet fitted for the privileges of Amer
lean liberty. | am sorry for them, as would
be sorry for any one who has the misfortune
to have an inherited deep-sested mental in
capacity.
Something must be done. These radical
Socialists are gradually either getting con-
troll of our labor unions so thoroughly i'm
ORIGINATING these workers organizations with
alien notions that before long we may have
to face condition not altogether without an
analogy to that which now prevails in Rus
STA. Whatever is to be done should be started
now.
It is bitter pill for an American to swa'
low that, having made his country the haven
for those who seek liberty, he and his insti-
tutions must in turn be denounced with
vitriolic hatred by the very people to whom
he has held out helping hand. 1t is only
because we have the institution of personal
liberty in this country that such people az
these are permitted to go 10 the lengths of
their mentally elongated tether With all the
insolence of Kaiserism, they have presumed
upon our national freedom to the degree of
traitorous license. They are cunning enough
to violate, with few notable exceptions, not
the letter, but the spirit of American liberty.
Without doubt something must be done.
America has never encountered a problem
which she has not eventually been able to
solve. This question must have an answer
and quickly HERBERT EVERETT.
Iu,n