The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-13
BY EDWARD MARSHALL.


Labor many times has pro-
nounced for sanity. The fol-
lowing interview with Hugh Frayne,
It's general organizer, and until re-
Gently a member Of the War Indus
tries Board. shows that he turns to
constructive thought at time when
tho world needs careful statements
from men who stop to think before
they speak.
at would be utterly silly to deny
growing feeling OF unrest in the
United States" said Mr.. Frayne. 1T
would be as silly to deny that this
tends toward extraordinary radical
sism-that which it has become fash
ionable to call 'Bolshevism.' Those
who scoff at the idea have not taken
, the trouble to make a careful study
Of the situation. They see merely
surface foam and think that there is
nothing else, forgetting that under
surface foam there must be rapid
. movement or the surface foam would
never be produced. AS a matter Of
cold fact this underlying movement
is immense and powerful. 1t may be
destructive. II not, the reason will
be found in the high intelligence of
those who have the privilege OF
, leadership in these days when the
word has such a pregnant meaning.
secret Agencies at Work.
THE foam Is quite the least I'M
portant of the facts as they exist.
The more important is beyond view,
tho under power of a great mass.
really in sympathy but not vociferous.
Secret agencies have been at work
and have produced secret force. 1t
is futile TO deny it. All the investi-
cations of the Government have but
glanced at the real facts. They may
never be entirely known. The start
toward their uncovering, the study
of the methods and results OF German
propaganda, was made too late to be
effective; those silent. hidden effects
which we shall have so hard a time to
combat then already had begun to
take their form.
"Of course this would have been
impossible IL conditions .had not been
favorable for the troublemakers. We
in America had admitted many per-
sons Of the agitational mind. II / may
coin the term. They had come to our
free land from countries where there
was little or no liberty, ard by re-
action were affected toward excessive
energy. Having become accustomed to
secret work through the necessities
OF life in countries where oppression
was an actually. they persisted in the
habit here, where there was no op-
preston. They had brought with them
some knowledge of what we now call
'Bolshevism, they had learned the
soviet plan where soviets had been
effective. They endeavored to spread
Bolshevism and to introduce the soviet
plan in the United States, where
neither was needed nor desired. They
successfully endeavored to spread dis
satisfaction with existing things
among those who were not and had
no good reason TO he dissatisfied. 1t
was habit with them. We did not
watch them or control them. We must
take the consequences OF our lnno-
cence.
''They had come from countries
where they had been denied the rights
OF organization and assembly, from
10 work long hours for little wages,
worst of all from countries where en-
pIoyers had been safe in utterly re-
fusing to meet with workers for the
purpose of discussing with them the
mutual problems OF existence.
II do not say there are no en-
ployers Of this sort in the United
states. We have had in New York
city examples very recently. What
followed? The other night the strikers
met sand tried to form a soviet. They
failed. because fear of the police and
public opinion kept from the meeting
many who really wished TO be there.
But the fact that they did not attend
the meeting does not mean that they
were not in full sympathy with its
thought. 1t is not improbable, indeed,
that Of people who wished to Join this
movement there were enough, really
10 fill not one but several halls
psychologically ready, despite the fact
that they did not assemble then, to
rise when appropriate leadership and
circumstances should simultaneously
OCCUR.
The Federation Not Infected.
The better labor organizations are
not infected with this spirit of unrest
] think, to any serious degree. I am
sure the American Federation of La
Dor, for example, is 100 per cent. Loyal
10 the Government and to American
institutions. 1t wants to and will re,
main in that psychological condition
hut II is not fair that upon its shout
ders should fall the full responsibility