New-York tribune., 1920-05-15
Communists in Gallery of
Convention Hall Hoot as
He Attacks the Policies
of Lenine and Trotzkv
Left Wing Again Beaten
Third lnternationale Repu-
dated Without Giving
Radicals Chance to Inter.
fere

and theories of Lenine and Trotzkv was
,sade by Victor Berger before the ma
,cnal convention of the Socialist party
here yesterday.
Berger called upon the Socialists of
the United States to oppose soreipn
Intervention in Russia on the ground
that the Russian people must be per
p,i.,ed TO work out their own destiny.
He demanded that the Socialists of
America proclaim openly that thew have
nothing in common with the Bolshe-
wiki of Russia. He denounced the Bol-
sheviki as anti-Socialistic and anar-
ehistic and declared the Bolshevik ex-
pertinent in Russia is bound to end in
failure.
He pleaded that the Socialists of
America look to the Socialist and labor
movements OF Western Europe rather
than to Russia as models of Socialists
thought and action.
Kissed by Communists
Berger was Kissed by Communists in
the gsllery of the convention hall
Turning to the gallery he shouted:
~ am a Socialist don't want q
proletarian dictatorship in this conn
,ry nor any kind of a dictatorship.
an democrat"
Abiding to his sentence of twenty
years in a Federal penitentiary for
his sntiwar stand, Berger shouted at
the Communists:
The capitalists gave me twenty
years. How many would you give me?
have faced patriotic mobs and I am
not afraid Of Communist mobs."
The chairman presiding at the ses-
sion then Informed the Communists
that if they persisted in kissing Ber-
ger or any other delegate at the con-
yenuon they would have to clear the
gallery.
Berger's attack on Bolshevism and
the Bolsheviki came in connection with
report submitted by him as member
OF the Committee on International Re
.atons on the question of affiliation
with the Third Internationale. Three
reports were submitted:
One was drafted by Morris Hillouit
and urged that the Socialist party of
America affirm it's affiliation with
the Third Internationale, but only as
basis Tor the restoration OF the So
elalist lnternationale and provided the
Lloscow organization does not insist
upon the member parties accepting the
Left Wing Files Report
Another report presented by the
Left wing of the committee, signed bv
Louis J. Eng6ahl, of Chicago. urged
tLat the party continue its affiliation
with the Third Internationale unre-
serYedly. Bergers was the other re-
port.
he Moscow organization is not an
ternation2le," declared Berger. Most
decidedly it is not a Socialistic In
ternationale The American Socialist
party, after having stood upright dur
ing the war, has absolutely no reason
TO join an organization generally made
up Of these elements
A genuine lnternationale must con-
tam the Socialist parties OF ENGLAND,
Germany, France, Holland. Belgium
and Of the scandinavian countries, and
We should join them.
Inc Socialists have always stood
for "a steady. continuous and gradual
development of Socialist thought. They
EaVe always tried to strengthen the
proletarlat and to make socialism the
leading thought IN the life of the civ
Lied nations.
Socialism, however. viii always be
opposed to the complete elimination of
democracy, TO the disfranchising of
all non -communistic elements, to the
dictatorship Of the Communist party
and to Imperialism as a means of gov
ernmenr. as practiced by the present
rulers OF Russia.
III the Russian people want COM
munlsm and are satisfied with their
condition, no power on earth has any
right to interfere with the Russian
communism, but that is no reason why
ne should join them
Convention App1auds Him
Berger report drew the applause of
many delegates, while the entire con-
ventlon applauded him for his frank
stand or the question. The convention
rejected. however, both his report and
that OF the Left element. and adopted
the report submitted bp Hillquit
The substance of the Hillquit report
was:
, The Socialist party of the United
States, while retaining adherence to the
Ihlrd lnternationale, instructs its ex-
ecutlve committee, it's international
secretary and its international dele
gates to be elected:
ITO insist that no formula such
as the dictatorship of the proletariat
IN the form OF Soviets' or any other
special formula for the obtainment of
'ne Socialist commonwealth be imposed /
OF eXacted as condition Of affiliation /
with the Third Internationale;
10 participate in movements
iookng 20 the union of all true Social /
lst forces in the world into one In
..tefnationale and to initiate and TO fur
.ner such movements whenever the op- /
p0TIuhlty - presented"
ne latter passage referred to the I
eenorts being made by the Independent
SSociai!sts Of Germany, the majority
oog'alsts of France. the Labor Party
duo independent Labor Party of Eng
,and' the Socialist party of Sweden and /
ysner SOCIALIST parties TO reconstruct
"e socialist Internationale on a basis
qptaole 70 all parties that may align
Etn 1t and not on basis of the
itoIIeS enunciated by the Third
'H'ernationale
Left Definitely Beaten
p.. ne adoption of the Hillquit report
tioS regarded as virtually a repudia-
nv. ol the Third lnternationale with
~ slVihg the Left wing of the party
opportunity to create trouble. The
i,r s Sus OF opinion among the majo~-
,b.. VI aeIegateS TO the convention is
~. the hlrd lnternationale in real
tho uoes not represent the structure of
i,S u'ufe Socialist Internationale in
sic. "ual form and that if Lenine in
.banu Upon acceptance OF his particular
,b;o b'1eS as qualification for member
az a. III ms Third Internationale the
n lToy