The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-03-24
sPAReo's WAR VIEWS
Interview Reprinted From the Port
land, Oreuon. journal.

I The Portland, Oregon. Journal OF
March ~ prints the following inter
view with John Spargo of bennington
who is lecturing on the Pacific coast.
The Latin spargo" means Il
sprinkle, scatter"
SpaTgo is also the surname Of John
Spargo, the noted socialistic lecturer,
writer and worker
/ 1t is peculiarly appropriate name.
inasmuch as his life work has been
the sprinkling and scattering of so
fcialist thought, first in England and OF
recent years in America
John Spargo is now in Portland on
q lecture tour that embraces almost
all of the United States under the di'
rection of the intercollegiate socialist
society, a nationwide organization
that has as It's aim to learn about
socialism.
Mr.. Spargo finds that socialist SEN
timent is constantly growing in the
United States. In fact, socialistic
thought had advanced by leaps and
bounds in this country during recent
years.
THE Socialist movement is grow
ing much more rapidly than the So.
cialist party" said Mr.. Spargo at the
Hotel Multnomah For the first
time in Its history the Socialist party
lost votes at the recent election,
largely because OF the war. Racial
groups made for q decrease in voting
strength. Many voted for the re-elec-
ton OF President Wilson because he
had kept the country out of war;
others voted for Mr.. Hughes because
they felt that Mr. Wilson leaned to-
ward the allies"
None can predict, believes MIR,
Spargo, whether the ultimate aims Of
socialism, a socialized state viii be
attained through the Socialist party
or not we Socialists have faith in
our party" said he, but it may be
that we viii only furnish the ideas
and that some other party viii put
them into effect. as, for example, pro-
hihition although Prohibition party
aim. is being largely put into force
with the help of others
International socialism has suffered
keenly, says Mr.. Spargo, because Of
the war; but Socialism in the coun-
tries at war is gaining ground and
internationalism viii progress rapid
~ AT the conclusion of hostilities.
1--WE are able 10 learn but little of
what is going on behind the lines in
the central empires" said Mr.. Spargo
"but we are well informed as to the
r,-.opf,sacu ne Gno;nI;cp, ~, o11fnJ
armies on the western front.
.'These are, In fact, socialized ar
mics. Trenches have their Socialist
locals, Literature is distributed among
the men and meetings are many In
the great camps behind the trenches
great socialist meetings are held. with
noted speakers from the capitals. The
meaning of the Socialist cause is be-
ing made clear to many who have
never heard of the movement before
especially among the agriculturists.
who comprise large portions Of the
armies
"These are seeing daily the advan-
tages OF specialization. They will re-
turn to their homes after the war with
a demand that the governments con
tinue in times of peace as in war the
many socialized enterprises that have
grown into being by reason Of the
conflict.
we must assume that these same
conditions exist in Germany. where
the Socialist movement has been
specially strong, and so 1t appears
that after the war the Socialist cause
Will have gained ground in all of the
belligeient countries.
Socialism bridges the gap between
a need and the power TO fiji that need
and, these men in the armies are see
| ing the logic of it."
Mr.. Spargo differs from many Of his
colleagues, perhaps. in that he is not
an ultra-paeifist. He deI'ores war;
dencunces offensive wareAre, and
hopes that the United States viii be
spared war, but feels there arc times
when men must fight 10 preserve the
integrity OF their country.
81 believe that President Wilson
did the only thing he could possibly
do when he broke OFF relations with
Germany" said he. 81 hope that we
SlllAt Dt SlldlSu Nat, DtAb IL Wal tOiltH
let our assistance be economic rather
than military Let us give our re-
sources toward bringing about
speedy peace in the world and crush
Ing militarism."
Mr.. Spargo does not believe in uni
versal military training, but he does
believe in training in the potentiali-
ties OF war.
But fraction of an army is en-
gagged in fighting" explained Mr.
Spargo, the great majority of men
being engaged in doing what one
might term engineering feats. digging
trenches, building bridges. and the
like.
For this reason think a years
compulsory training in engineering
feats, ii you will, for young men and
women would not only he gcod for
them, but also for the state.
Digging 100 miles Of trenches, for
example. is not vastly different from
digging 100 miles of ditch Why not
give training along these lines, ard so
accomplish so much for the nation in
the way of highways, irrigation pro-
jects, dams and the like? 1t would be
universal training of useful, helpful
kind, but training unincumbered
with the objections OF militarism"
John Spargo is one OF the foremost