The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-01-19
N. SOCIALISTS
SCOFF AT IDEA
OF BOLSHEVIKI
Five SO-called Leaders Deny
knowledge of SOviets
on East Side.
LEE AND BENSON QUOTED
Reed and Eastman Types Are
Called EmOtionalists Work
ing to No Real Purpose.
LEE AND BENSON QUOTED

Socialist party leaders In New York
representing the established and rela-
lively moderate and constructive groups
do not take seriously the rumors OF a
system OF Soviets, quietly organized in
the city by Bolsheviki. No more Sc
riously do they take the audible Boil
shevik agitators OF the Reed and East
man stamp Some of them call these
persons emotonalists. working to no
real purpose with their mouths They
10 not expect Bolsheviki to try to ger
control OF the regular Socialist organiza-
ion or a radical faction to split OFF AMI
become Boshevik. They point out that
Bolshevism has no use for orthodox po-
!it,cal mechanism and that a system OF
Sovie.s would be a mechanism of its
own.
Five Socialist leaders interviewed by
TIVE Sun agreed that all they know
about any local Bolshevism worth dis
GUESSING is what they read in the ''capi-
tali>t press" one leader who did not
wish to he named thought that in the
present state of affairs in the world an
appearance OF Soviets through the East
Side was not impossible, but he had
not seen any. Another thought the ru-
mors. ike those credited to Ludwig
zorro and Santeri Nuorteva and heraldel
specially, he said in Nouy Mir. on which
T-otzky worked while in New York.
were all coffee house talk. signifying
l..tle
Lee and Benson Talk.
Except Alderman Algernon Lee, the
Socialists were unwilling to be quoted nr
even named, although Allen L. Benson,
'he last Socialist candidate for Presi-
dent and editor OF Reconstruction. re-
ferred to an editorial OF his on "Pol-
shevism and America" in the current
number. which contained all he cared TO
say az present.
II Bolsheviki. tho genuine article. are
considered as radical Socialists and as
an Extreme Left Mr. Lee thinks that
his own place would probably be that o.
A Ceptrist, and sometimes even further
toward the Right. (The hight here. of
course. means the conservative wing.
No Socialist processes himself decided
conservative. even within the party)
Mr.. Lee said:
as 1t true that at present there is
right wing, a left wing and centre in
the Socialist party here? Yes. and per-
haps few more 'wings,-}sesides. The
evidence that the Socialist party is alive
10 the fact that within II there are al
ways differences Of opinion. more or less
divergent tendencies. acting and react
ing on one another and perhaps multi
ally balancing one another. In my
twenty-three years OF party member
ship have never seen timo when this
was not the case and do not wish II to
be otherwise.
I'VE often differ sharply within the
7arty Sometimes some OF us lose our
rAnpers and attack one another too Sc
~.rely. That is regrettable, but il is
likely to happen in any group OF men
snd women who are dealing with live
questions and who are intensely in ear
rest.
Keep the Fights at Home.
I'VE make It a rule to fight out our
marty questions inside the party, not to
discuss them In the non-Socialist press.
There Is nothing secret about such con-
'-oversies. for our papers and maya
zines give them abundant space But
o;her periodicals could not take them
IN fully enough TO make them really in
ts',igibe to the general public, and an
INCOMPLETE discussion OF such questions
before eaders who have no particular
interest in them would be futile. That
90 itself is sufficient reason for the
rule I have mentioned"
Mr.. Lee like the others. was asked II
~ expected to see the radical and pos
Sbly Bolshev-oid factions at present
within the party either seek control or
IS organization or detach themselves
from il.
II am not expecting a split in the So
,a'!st Marty he said "A dozen times
g. the last dozen years such a split has
been. confidently predicted by outsiders
When 7 read these predictions I always
suspect that the wish is father. to the
fought. Now and then handful! OF
ss7sons leave the party, as few OF the
Spange type did year or two ago, but
,o- ten who secede a hundred join us
and IN most cases the seceders soon try
- get back by n side door.
"Nor do / know of any other brganiza-
tor now being formed outside the party
20 represent the ideas OF the so-called
Ihrt Wing OF course many things may
happen without my knowledge. If such
IN organization as you suggest does ap-
Jea~ on the scene l shall be mildly in
terested. There have been some in the
pas, but they have not survived long
Calls Secrecy n Contradiction.
Yes: I have seen in some OF the
papers a story to the effect that far
reaching Soviet organization is being
tecretly formed in this country. So far
es1 know this has no foundation in fact.
secret Soviet organization seems to
me 10 he contradiction in terms. The
essence II the Soviet system. as It exists
In Russia, is the frequent general meet
ings ~ the whole body of workers in
ea07 factory or other economic unit to
e'ect their delegates to local or regional
council. which in turn elects delegates 10
great national congress and not only
70 elect delegates but 10 instruct them,
and II necessary to recall and replace
them
How anything remotely resembling
tn's could be done SECRETLY is beyond
ty comprehension. Certainly the Soviets
az Russia did not begin in any dark
conspiracy. Their origin was much less
romantic, The germ from which they
trcw was nothing else than the shop or
ganization in the great Industrial es-
enlistment, which was Mt certain
period not only tolerated but even en-
touraged by the authorities in the hope
o. thereby promoting efficiency OF pro-
Srctlon. When the revolutionary mo-
n.nt arrived these shop meetings and
Irdustrisl councils formed the nucleus
for new form ofs social organization
which, extending also TO the peasant
groups, has since become the basic
structure OF the Russian Government"
Tho Benson editorial. after taking Is
gs with a New York newspaper for