New-York tribune., 1919-06-09
Young Peoples Socialist
League Told Money of
All Nations Is Being
Counterfeited i'm Russia
Fraud to Beat Capital
Lenine's Book Bought, but
Discord Stops Playing
of the American Anthem

An innocent looking newspaper
bound bundle was carried surrepti-
tiously into the gaily festoened hall at
122 Second Avenue, where Circle No.
of the Young Peoples Socialist League
was arguing itself into a state of ex-
element last night ON whether or not
it should indorse the left wing Of the
Socialist party.
The bundle, made up Of books, was
borne by H. Friedman and it's con-
tents were selling at Is cents each.
He sat down and furtively began to
explain to his neighbors just what his
business was:
"See this book, he said, "Tt's the
soviets at work by Lenine. I'll be
put in Jail if they catch me selling
it. The State Department has sup
pressed it. There were $4,000 copies
printed by the Rand School Of Social
Science, but they only wanted to make
money on It, They didn't care for
spreading the propaganda. Now they.
can't sell it and the only way to get
it around is to distribute it on the
quiet like this. Already we've got rid
Of 5000 copies.
"And see this!"
Here he produced copy of "Revolu-
tionary Letters by Lenine.
"The only copy in America" he
proudly asserted. ut was brought to
me by Russian. He carried it into
this country under his shirt next to
his chest. We're going to have thou
sands of copies printed. Do you know
what they do with it in Russia? They
distribute it among the American and
other Allied soldiers who are there.
Oh yes, we're getting the soldiers on
our side over there.
Longs for Russia and Trotzky
"Ah, but l wish I could get out of
this terrible country into Russia
where there are men with brains.
tell you Trotzky has more brains than
President Wilson, or any of the So
| work for Trotzky. He and l were i'm
prisoned in Siberia together for two
and half years. His cell was next to
mine, and l saw lot of him. Then
when he came to America l had long
talks with him. He is a great man
Trotzky But they will not let me out
of this country. l work at the Russian
headquarters on Fifteenth Street, and
a few months ago I was arrested and
then released.
Says Police Hire Girl Spies
"The Police Department put girl
spy in our office. Oh, yes, that's what
| ri,1e Ill A..
meetings to take repol is. Well, this
one was an innocent looking thing, but
all the time she was informing the
Police Department of what we were
doing at the Russian headquarters We
discovered it and fired her out. But
first we took her photograph and sent
copies of it around to all our meeting
places SO that she would not be ad-
mitted anywhere. In Russia a girl like
that would be shot.
II tell you Russia alone is going to
fight the capitalists in every country
in the world Do you know that in
Petrograd British, American, French.
Italian and every kind of money is
being made. Yes, and i. is beginning
to flood these countries. 1t will so
cheaper native money without peoA
pie understanding why chat the capi-
italists will be checkmated at their
own game"
Decries American Socialists
From this he proceeded to decry the
moderation of American Socialists
They were afraid of their own skins.
They did not have the nerve to do
any thing. Bomb plots? They were
framed up" by the capitalists them
selves. When it came to revolution
the Russians in America weren't 60
ing to bother petit. individual cases
of bomb throwing. No, indeed, it would
be war of the deadicst type.
All this in undertones to his imme-
diate neighbors. Meanwhile, the YIN
sells were getting tuned up for busi-
ness. They had their preliminary mon
keying around the piano, and when one
girl, with derisive laugh, played the
opening bars of "The Star Spangled
Banner" three or four youths jumped
toward her and rippled the keys from
treble to bass to drown her incipient
effort to play the American anthem
Sympathy for the "Lefts"
inc ueDate on lett versus right wing
was conducted in animated fashion by
Jack Haikin and Higo Pollack, sympa-
thy appearing to be with the "lefts."
The advocate Of the extremists out
lined programme of organized work
mems councils to control the govern
ment first and then abolish it. 1t would
mean industrial revolution and linking
up with the l. w. WIS. 1t would be an
exact duplication in America of the
Bolshevik programme in Russia. The
youthful pleader impressed upon the
1lpsels the Importance of getting in
on mass action--speedy, clear-cut, rev.
olutionary.
Burglar Makes $4,000
Hnv,1 rr