New-York tribune., 1918-03-25
Socialist Revolt Over
Anti-War Policy Grows

'ollcy Grows
election on the Berger pacifist plat
form ard at the same time alleging
he is patrotically supporting the gov
crnment. Following this action spr-
tied demand arcse in Milwaukee for
the holding Of special national col-
vention of the party to reconsiG iGer it's
war policy.
Within few days the Bohemian So
claist Federation, which is member
oi the Socialist party, being one of the
very strongest Of its foreign language
divisions, issued manifesto demand
ing that all the Socialists of the United
states give loyal assistance and support
20 the United States and it's allies in
IS war against the Central Powers. In
The manifesto, signed by the secretary
OF the federation and other influential
members, open revolt against tho pro
German policy of the party is ex
pressed The leaders of the Bohemian
Socialist Federation have declared for
the Spargo policy, although Spargo is
no longer member of the Socialist
party The manifesto says:
We consider it our duty as Socialists
to urge most earnestly to take now,
at least in the interest Of Russia, which
is being stranglcd. an attitude Of ut
most seriousness fully apprcciativc of
the demands Of the critical moment of
history. We have been noting for some
.tO Al re
convention is being slowly but perma
nently abandoned by the most inhu
cntial men of our party. 1t will be
an act of courage if the Socialist party
Of America will declare its new stand
point openly in the interest Of the
democratic world in general. We de
mand that the full weight Of our Social
ist vote with the Socialist party of
America declare in favor Of war against
the Central Powers and that it offer
its loyal assistance and support against
the outer and inner enemy everywhere
everywhere that the social aud demo
cratic interests of the country suffer
in any way whatsoever"
Socialists Drift
To New Party
This manifesto is noteworthy because
it expresses the revolt of virtually all
of the subjects of Austria Hungary in
cluded in the ranks of American Social
lists. 1t is an open and acknowledged
fact that the leaders of the Bohemian
Socialist Federation have urged their
members to insist upon tho resignation
of Victor Berger. Seymour Stedman,
Morris HillQuit and other pacitists from
the New York executive committee Of
the Socialist party, and the return to
1t of the leaders of the Spargo Stokes
Walling group. That Spargo could. If
he would, return to the Socialist party
and become its recognized leader and
insist upon the removal Of the HILL
qult-Berger group from every position
Of responsibility which they now hold
is we'll understood in Socialist circles
In Chicago the Socialist leaders are
more or less shamefaccdly abandoning
the party policy. Alderman Rodriguez,
now is openly supporting the govern
ment and the prosecution of the war.
Spargo. Stokes, Walling and othcrs
arc not likely to return to the Socialist
party. Most of them have identified
themselves with the new National
party. Mr.. Spargo is one of the prin-
cipal leaders of the new party, and it is
not believed he will return to the So
cialist. party even though mis- position
be indorsed. The leaders of the Ma
tional party predict that it will take
over the greater part of the Socialist
party, and they claim now member
ship exceeding that of the Socialist
party, and that it will have a member
ship of half million by the end of the
year They predict the election Of
thirty or more Congressman at the
coming fall elections.
The outstanding fact seems to be
that the Socialists of America have
come to realize the mistake made by
their leaders at the St. Louis conven-
tlon. Whether this means the break
ing up of the party or the overthrow
of its pacifist leadership remains to be
seen; Its leading organ: "The Appeal
to Reason" has abandoned its old
name, and under the title "The New
Appeal" has come out strongly against
the party policy and in support of
policy identical with that Of the Ma
tional party
Students of political conditions are
narrowly watching the drift of the So
cialists away from pacifsm. One of
the largest employers Of labor in the
city. said to Tribune reporter last
week:
. when the first Liberty Loan was
floated We gave notice in our shop that
~ AH'Oi VI IiIc LIUeTLy Loan
would have an opportunity to address
the employees. The shop shut down for
twenty minutes, and the response was
very generous, literally hundreds Of
the employees subscribing for the new
bonds. We fixed it SO that employees
might pay for the bonds in small in
stalments, by deducting a dollar or two
dollars week from their paw. The
payments were hardly under way be-
fore Morris Hillquit made his speech
declaring that he would not buy Lib
erty bond. The effect of that speech
was almost magical in our shop. Nine
ty-tive per cent of the subscribers at
once gave notice that they would not
take the bonds they had subscribed
TOR. We took over practically the en-
tire subscription. Since tha. time the
war ha5 got under way and the Rus
sian Bolsheviki, following out the ex
treme ideas of pacfism favored by
Hillqult and the employees in our shop,
have turned over portions of Russia
to the Central Powers. Already we
have noticed revulsion of sentiment
among the employees in our shop. They
now recognize Germany as the menace
Of the world and I believe that in q
few weeks or months our employees. and
IN fact nearly all the Russian Jews in
this city, will have gained the right
mental attitude toward GERMANY"
Sandoz Art To Be Viewed