The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1920-01-05
SAY B0LSHEv|SM
ACTS UNDER GU|sE
OF LIBERALISM
Social Democratic League of
America Warns Against
the ''Parlor' Type

i tAAS AiAOl wv
! >
The Social Democratic League OF Amer
lea, representing the higher type OF So
cialists and containing on its National
Committee such names as Charles Edward
Russell, J. G. Phelps Stokes. Allan L.
Benson, Frank Bohn and Charlotte Per-
kins Gilman. issued a statement yester-
day declaring that the Bolshevist attack
on America is not aimed at the govern
ment directly, but at tho forces Of prog
ress.
Signed by Mr.. Russell. president, and
by William English Walling. secretary. OF
| the league, the statement was in part
1.-THE continued military and diplomatic
successes OF the Russian Bolsheviki are
giving immense stimulus to the pro-Bol-
shevist propaganda in this country. This
propaganda is taking new forms from day
to day. Those who have observed it long
est and most closely know that the SOAP
box orator and labor agitator are its
least dangerous manifestations. The pub
lie has tended lightly to dismiss the most
menacing form of Sovietism as mere par
Tor Bolshevism. There could be no more
fatal error.
Aimed at Democracy.
'The Bolshevik attack In America
France and England today is aimed ex-
clusively at the forces of progress at
democracy, reform, the labor unions, and
even moderate Socialism. These rivals
who are obtaining progress by peaceful
cooperative means must be killed off be-
fore the class war can be organized. 1T is
only after this has been accomplished that
the work Of destruction of established in
situations can begin. Lenine has just
cautioned his $50 followers in the Cham
Der of Deputies OF Italy-where the class
war is well advanced-that they must not
revolt prematurely, but must continue to
organize the Class war until the ground is
prepared.
-"Bolshevism does not as yet menace the
American government in the slightest de-
gree. It not only menaces but it is steadily
undermining every progressive force in the
country. This work OF spiritual destruc-
ton goes on apace and In many forms. 1t
is subsidized by rich American parlor Boil
shevists and supported by numerous pro-
BolsheTk high brow and foreign language
publications. It is rapidly organizing into
one solid mass all the violent pacifist
fanatics, pro-GerTnans and anti-British dis
loyalists who were knitting democracy in
the back during the war. 1t opera ties with
the same personnel, the same methods, the
same system OF multiple organizations I'M
C6r various dtLISeS, anu SCLCLlIIleS ITOfIl
the same headquarters. Not one Of the old
familiar and notorious names is missing.
The deportations to Germany and Russia
will simply have the effect Of making the
An erican born predominant
1.-The new pro-Soviet movement is best
seen. not in the relatively insignificant
and largely foreign Socialist and Com
munist parties or the 1. w. W.-so much
discussed in the press-but in scores of
nj y,iz firms with iutar1nrlxinO Iii
rectorates operating under the cover OF
subtle pseudo-'liberap aliases-and sup
posedly directed to every imaginable re-
form and humanitarian purpose. Its ennis
saries, moreover. swarm into every genu-
inc plan-some posing as moderates, 9TH
ers as uncompronising 'idealists.'
Under Cloak OF "Liberaiism.s
This pro-Bolshevist propaganda, under
the cloak of liberalism. is among our
writer's and teachers, in our weeklies and
magazines. our schools and colleges. The
war set every tongue ard pen at work on
politics- Loyalist and democratic propa-
gandas were organized during the war,
but were not ready for peace. The pro-
Soviet Internationally from the first day
of the armistice and having the whole
field to themselves, swept a large part of
the fluent but politically unframed and
uniformed intellectually off their feet.
uiltli tiieir COulDlncu peTlOulCdLS now nave
a hundred thousand readers, while inde-
pendent pro-Soviet writer's and newspaper
correspondents have several times this au-
dience.
Rule or ruin is the motto. The organ
izations the Soviets cannot capture they
destroy Except locally they have cap
Etured no great labor union. But their
vociferous support OF every strike is in
itself enough to lose the strike and irrepar-
ably damage the union. They win either
way. IL the strike is gaining they push
for demands so excessive as to embtter
the outside public. II the strike is losing
they try to embitter labor against our
democratic form OF government. Either
plan tends to destroy the unions or to con-
vert them from instruments OF construc-
i've democracy to instruments OF class
war.
American democracy can and must I'M
do this propaganda by branding and re-
pudiating the propagandists.
THE time for action has arrived. but Il
must be the action of the democratic ele-
ments which have been betrayed from
within and knitted from behind. Union
labor has pointed the way in repudiating
Bolshevism whether in Russia or the
United States, and in ejecting the Bolshe-
visits and quarantining their pro- Bolshe-
visit assistants. II is the duty OF every
honest democratic organization 20 follow
their example,