Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-31
Protective League
Leads Raid Tonight

Continued from Pare Ono
up three homes last night emphasizes
the need for the existence of the Amer
lean Protective League. Such people
should be kept under watch by loyal
/ American citizens"
| Socialist Adviser Aroused
| Henry John Nelson, legal adviser Of
the Socialist party in Philadelphia, de-
plored the bomb outrages and blamed
them on the Bolsheviki.
"They are due to Bolshevism in Phil
adelphia," he said. This is a big and
growing element here. It is also very
vicious element. 1t is largly Russian
in composition.
These people believe that the Boil
shevilSi movement in Russia is a second
French revolution. They think II Is the
greatest event of the day. They look
or Lenine and Trotsky as savlors OF the
! world.
This Bolshevik element has been
driven into cellars. The leaders are
making capital of the repressive meas
ures exercised against them by the police
| to pose as martyrs to their Ignorant fol-
! lowers
"If they met in the open, their state
ments would be laughed down. The So
| clalists have tried to reason with these
Bolshevists, but they are not open to
| reason"
Nightly Meetings Held
Meetings have been held every night
for more than two weeks at the Russian
Auditorium. Eighth street and Fair
mount avenue. in a vicinity that has
long been center of anarchism in
| America.
Sessions starting at o'clock in the
evening have lasted until 3, and 5
o'clock in the morning. At times the
meetings have been tumultuous.
The Russian Auditorium Is the head
quarters of the Deputies of Russian
Sovlets, Working Colony of Philadel-
phia and Vicinity" Ostensibly, 1t Is a
Socialist organization, all of it's members
being of Russian origin. Some of them
are American citizens, but most have
come to this country recently from Rus
sia. Bolshevik tendencies are strong
among it's members, although they deny
| that they are connected with the Boil
shevikl. They say the yare Socialists.
Residents of the vicinity today ex-
pressed fear of the members of the or
ganization, and after they had told of
all night meetings and noisy debates,
begged that their names not be used.
They expressed fear of possible conse-
quences
Members of this central soviet had a
prominent place in the mass meeting
| held at the Metropolitan Opera House
! just after the armistice as signed. AL
though this mass meeting was advertised
as a gathering of Socialists to celebrate
the return of peace and the triumph of
Socialism in foreign lands, the tone of
the assembly was Bolshevik
Trotzky Cheered,
The names of Trotzky and Lenine,
the Russian Bolshevists who surrender
ed to Germany, were wildly cheered
and applauded every time they were
mentioned.
When speakers referred to triumphs
of Bolshevsm in Russia there were
equally loud outbursts. At such times
banners of Socialist locals were display
ed and waved.
Not an American flag appeared in
the room. When the police refused to
permit the meeting to begin unless the
Stars and Stripes were displayed, bunt-
ing was arranged around the speakers
stand to form red and white stripes
and few white stars were placed in a
blue field.
The star Spangled Banner" was
played as one of the requirements of
the police and although everyone stood,
there was only perfunctory applause. A
| few minutes later when the Red"
| hymn, the anthem of Socialists and Boil
shevists, was played, there was an up
roar. of shouting and handclapping.
A red flag, the emblem alike of So
claiists, Bolshevlsts, terrorsts and
anarchists, was displayed at the open
ing of the meeting, but the police COM
PEELED the men on the stage to take It
down.
Anarchy's High Priestess
The red flag also was displayed on
the Russian auditorium the day the
armstice was signed. but the police
had it taken down.
A week ago Sunday there was a fac
tional fight at meeting of the central
soviet said to have arisen as a result
of disagreement between Lithuanian
and Ukrainian delegates. The police
were called In to stop the disorder.
Agents of the American Protective
League, aiding the Department of JUS
tice have attended meetings of the
soviet, and their reports are filed with
references to Bolshevism. These agents
have reported to the league chiefs
that most OF the delegates are followers
of Russian Bolshevik leaders and that
they preach Bolshevism in their
speeches.
In this central soviet organization are
combined about twenty labor bodies of
Bolshevik and Socialistic tendencies. The
organization is made up, of representa-
tives one for each fifteen members In the
labor guilds.
A few doors from the Philadelphia
Soviet headquarters is the former home
and school for anarchy of the late Vol
tairine de Cleyre, the high priestess of
Russian anarchism In America and
bosom friend of Emma Goldman, who
formed a small colony of anarchists in
the Eighth street and Fairmount avenue
neighborhood.
Many young Russians who fled to this
country from czarism got their first per-
verted view of America in this old school