The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-11-27

long been a matter Of common knowl-
edge, of course, that Socialism lent
itself 70 every base use which mill
taristic Germany desired to put IL to;
that, masking as hInternaionalisnn, ?
1t attempted TO SOW division and Sc
ditioH among the working classes Of
the allied nations; that 1t cloaked
imperial conspiracy, and that It's
leaders we're among the most un-
scrnpulous tools of the Berlin under
ground service.
Cowed into apparent inactivity in
the United States, the Middle Yves
tern pro Germans, who for convent
ence have chosen to call themselves
Socialists, during the last few months
have made ii a point loudly to pro-
claim their loyalty to the United
States and its institutions. In some
instances they have professed to be
highly indignant that their 100 per
cent Americanism should be impugn-
ed. Arrested and indicted. as some
or them have been for earlier offenses
against the espionage law, they have
employed lawyers who have set forth
in brief and argument the unchaTi-
tableness and injustice that would
question the devotion Of their clients
to the Stars and Stripes.
No sooner is Germany brought to
her knees with a consequent relaNa
ton of vigilance on the part OF the
American people, than these Social
lists call o mass meeting, to be held
in the Chicago Coliseum, for the os-
tensIble purpose OF celebrating the
overthrow OF the German kaiser.
Some 5000 or 5000 OF them having
gathered, however, the real purpose
of the melting Is seen to be that Of
attempting to SOW the seeds Of the
some disorder, discentent, and Fevo-
luton that Germany bad scattered
in Russia.
This gathering cheered for Bolshe-
yism, the worst expression Of law
lessness and brutality the modern
world has known. Says an account
Of the meeting:
Every speaker, from the chair
man, William Bross Lloyd recent
Socialist candidate for United States
Senator, to the woman representative
of the broken Siberian Soviet, had
Russian BoisheTiEi. None had
words Of appreciation for Americas
part in the world war. Every ref
erence to the BoIshevist states
brought applause that at times rock
ed the building"
Furthermore. the American flag
was mentioned only once, the public
is informed, and then in apologize
terms in comparison with the red
banner Of the Internationals. There
were sneers and slurs, it was said,
for the American soldiers In the war,
but no mention Of their heroism.
The Socialists who actually helped
the government in var work were
described as having sold out" and
Samuel Gompers and his fellow la
Dor unionists were made subjects of
gibes from the platform.
Victor Berger, although too Incl
entity dealt with from the beginning
Of the war, upon being introduced to
the audience, actually boosted Of the
fact that he had been made the sub
ject of four indictments and sixty
counts. This statement was received
with tumultuous applause, and then
he proceeded to misrepresent the
he was not indicted for crime, but
for being o Socialist, a statement
brazenlys untrue. THThey say" he de-
clared, that the Socialist Party is
German. Germany Will be proud Of
having given this socialism to the
world "They are AFRAID of Boil
shevisn," he added, meaning by
they" undoubtedly, to include the
Untted States. "All Socialists are
pro- Bolshevist today" he went on:
they are not afraid Of Germany, but
they are afraid of Bolshevism in Eu-
rope. They are afraid 100000 SOL
der boys will be affected with it
There will be increasing curiosity
from this time on to see how the g.
100000 soldier boys whom Victor
Berger was thinking Of viii view his
conduct and the conduct Of his as
sociates after finishing the business
in hand. Nothing Is more certain
than that the Socialism that showed
Its head and it's teeth in Chicago last
Sunday, If not dealt with earlier, will
be dealt with finally, il it shall CON
tinue to flaunt itself, when the boys
come home, for Democracy and Boil
shevism cannot dwell together.