New-York tribune., 1918-03-25
Rank and File Favors
Supporting the Gov
ernment
Hillquit and Berger
Losing Leadership
Decided Drift Toward New
Nationalist Party
Noted
By Charles I. White

i'll recent political develop
ments-and it is especially i'm
pressive right here in New York-is
ar apparent disintcgration of the
pacifst leadership among American
Socialists.
Probably it is not putting it too
strong to say that Il majority of the
members of the Socialist party already
have reached the conclusion that the
anti-war policy adopted by the party at
the st. Louis convention in April, 1917
is unsound and must be abandoned
Another session of the national con-
vention is planned for juno.
The net results of this new break
ing-up tendency will be the passing of
Morris Hillquit and Victor Berger from
the moral leadership of the party. They
j are likely to be rclegated to group or
racial leadership among Socialists,
while the primacy will pass-if it has
rot. already passed to John Spareo,
Charles Edward Russell. and the others
who broke away from the pacifists on
the issue of loyalty to the government
at the st. Louis convention, men who
are no longer members of the Socialist
party.
It will be remembered that at the
st. Louis convention the party adopted
report presented by majority of a
committee on War and Militarjsm. :"
t-t1t trh >f H., l..
American Socialists to leave the party.
That majority report denounced the en-
try of the United States into the war
rs "crime against civilization" called
upon all Socialists to oppose all meas
ures for the prosecution of the war
and pledged the party to Support all
mass movements" against conscripton
and against the war
There we're two minority reports
presented The first was by John
Spargo, a member of the committee,
and declared that the position of
America was consistent with the best
ideas of internationalsm and that the
cause of civilization required the
triumph of the Entente Allies and the
1efeat of the Central European powers
He urged the Socialists to support the
government of the United States in
the prosecution of the war, while at
the same time sezing upon the oppor
tunity presented by the war to further
the specialization of industry His re-
port was ignominiously rejected, re-
ceiving only five votes in the conven
tion.
See Folly of Their
Anti-War Policy
AS soon as the majority report which
pledged the party to support the mass
movements against conscriptlon and
against war measures was adopted, the
national executive committee of the
Socialist party began to be flooded
sts and Socialist locals concerning
the methods of carrying out the party
pledge, should they refuse TO register
fer tne draft. No satisfactory answer
was obtainable, the executive commit
tee replying that the persons making
the inquiries must "use their own
Judgment" in the matter.
Now there is a growing recognition
by the party Of the folly committed
by the st. Louis convention. There
was the enthusiastic response of the
young men ali over the land to the
draft, the mighty urge of patriotism
in the support by nearly all classes Of
the Liberty Loan. Many Socialists who
mad declared themselves out of SYM
patky with the nation as a whole be-
gan 20 feel their se]f-imposed isola
ton.
In ell parts OF the country lead
ing Socialists. and in many cases in
auential local organizations, have
frankly come around to the position
taken by such men as John Spargo,
]. G. Phelps Stokes, William English
Walling, W. J. Ghent, w r. Gaylord,
Charles Edward Russell and others.
A few evenings ago 200 Jewish So
cialists gathered in Aeolian Hall and
demanded that the national execu
tive committee OF the Socialist party
hold an early meeting and pass reso-
luton formally abandoning the de-
cision taken at the St Louis conven-
tion and adopting the position of the
Spargo minority report. OF the 1900
Jewish Socialists gathered at that
meeting not less than 500 either were
members Of the Socialist party or had
been members within year or two
OF the remaining 400, most of them
had been members OF the Socialist
party at some time or other That
such resolution should be adopted
with less than twenty dssentents is
regarded among political sharps as an
indication Of an unm istakable drift Of
party opinion away from the extreme
pacifism Of the st. Louis report.
Change Noted
In Milwaukee
A few days ago Mayor Hoan Of .Il.
wauxee, Socialist stronghold an
peXcd before the county central com
mHtee OF the Socialist party and stated
mat ~ was impossible for him TO abide
ny the party policy and al the same
I,me uphold the Constitution Of tho
,.nisea states, az he had sworn TO in
MS oath Of Office. Mayor Uoan sa;d
that it would be quite Impossible for
nam 70 iiyc up to the ST. Loui. war
policy and 70 discharge Faithfully his
duties az Mayor OF Milwaukee r..
offered 70 resign either from the ,arty
or the Mayoralty, according to tho do.
termination OF the committee.
BY unanimous vote the conm;.-
tee Instructed Mayor Hoan to ignoro
Inc party declaration on the suhicc,
II war, ard 70 carry out the dut,eS nf
mis- rfice, cbeyIng the Constitution AMI
the lawa Of the United States, and do
Whatever war service the goveruro.n,
called upon him to do. Mayor Hoan
nad neen one Of few supporters Of
SpafGo's poxitlon among the Milwau-
zee Sociaiists, 70 that the resolution
Of The central county co.nmit.ee mar a
s@naation am'nR ne socjaIisiz of Nil
T..