Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-10-03
SOCIALISM, PACFISM AND THE WAR

For years Charles Edward Russell was the most
prominent advocate Of Socialist principles in America. He
was a conspicuous member Of the Socialist party, and he
aided in the organization of the Nonpartisan League in
North Dakota because he believed that he saw in that
organization a means for applying in practice the beliefs
which he had long entertained. But Russell parted COM
pany with the Socialist party on the issues of the war,
for, as the situation developed, it became clear to him
that in this country Socialism was merely another
name for disloyalty. W. ...s-r
Mr.. Russell has just returned from an extended tour
OF England, France and Italy. and in a recent issue of
the New York Times there is published an interesting
interview with him in which he sets forth some Of the re-
suits Of bis observations. He predicts the speedy ending
of the war-his guess is about nine months-providing
the Allies keep up their present gait, and better it. He
points out, however, that a peace secured by anything
short of the utter defeat Of the German military power
will be an abandonment of all for which the democra-
cies of the world have fought, and in reality a victory for
Germany. He utters a solemn warning against the ac-
type. His observations on this subject. and also on the
economic visions which have proven attractive to some
members of this group, are interesting. He says:
while the pacifists and defeatists no longer have
the power to menace the Allied cause, their movements
cannot be exactly ignored. In trying to understand who
they arc and what they stand for. we must remember
that we have in the European countries, as in this coun-
try, an order of mind that is steel clad against facts, that
is swept away by prejudice and preconceived notions,
that judges the facts of this war from the standpoint of
theee preconceived notions.
TT is one Of the extraordinary revelations of the war
to find how widespread this order of mind is. Among
those who have it are apparently able and intelligent
people who are, nevertheless, able to close their minds
with the greatest ease to facts which they don't like or
don't caro- to contemplate. That element in Europe, for
years and years before the war, was composed Of minds
which reveled in certain impossible, utopian conceptions
of society, in which a more or less nebulous element call
ed the working classes was to conduct the government OF
the world in a manner that would make such things as
wars. strife, and malevolence absolutely impossible.
'They dreamed Of a sort Of New Jerusalem, and felt
themselves constantly on the verge of its achievement.
that element, with the greatest possible sincerity, still
follows this will-o'-the-wisp. manifesting itself >at the
present time in a demand that now is the time to bring
the war to an end by negotiation. This demand is ac-
cor:ranied always by considerable clamor, and would
seem serious were it not for the fact that it emanates, not
from the great majority of the peoples who are suffering,
and willing to suffer to the end. but from the minority %
While Mr.. Russell is discussing the features Of the
situation as he found it in Europe, it may be observed
that Europe is not the only continent where. there are to
be found men with minds "steel-clad against facts1,
Over here we are familiar with some of the expla-
nations Of the causes Of the war which have been pro-
IN PRINT ana from the PLATFORM We have been
told. with variations, that ours was a war. Of the rotten
rich and the damned pirates" Mr.. Russell has this to
nsay Of the reception given this propaganda across the
ocean: f
German propaganda has spread the most mon
strous lies m Italy and France. representing the United
States Is having gone into the war at the dictation Of the
capitalist class for the sake Of profits. These lies-aIso
declare that no class in this country was in favor Of the
war. outside Of the financier and the manufacturer.
Wherever the truth = made convincinsly clear that the
'United States - affordins to the world the one great ex-