The New York herald., 1921-06-08
TANNENBAUM DROPS
EVERY RADICALISM
Columbia Honor Graduate
Says He Is Not Socialist
or Anarchist.
HIS /. w. w. A DREAM
Main Interest Now Centres
i'm Labor UniOnism as
Worlds Hope.
GOMPERS GETS PRAISE
Evolution of Human Society
by Group Processes Is Pic
tured by Him.
HIS l. w. w. A DREAM
GOMPERS GETS PRAISE

The Frank Tannenbaum who was
graduated last Wednesday from Co
lumbia University with Phi Beta Kappa
distinction and highest honors in his
tory and economics" and who is now
seeking a doctor of philosophy degree,
f. a much broader minded young man
than the l. w. W. leader who seven
ycars ago invaded a church with de-
ntands for food and clothing and then
served a years sentence on Blackwells
island. And yet Tannenbaum has be-
come by no means a SNUG conformist
20 present economic and social condi-
tions.
When a reporter for THE NEW YORK
HERALD yesterday asked him, Did you
learn more at Blackwells Island or at
Columbia 2" the student did not crack
q smile as he replied: Certainly as
much at Blackwells. ] think. My ex-
perience there, i'll it's influence on my
outlook upon life, / would not barter
for anything T have, although" and
he added this as though it were an
afterthought. 81 think they kept me
on the island a little too long"
OF Columbia he spoke enthusiastically.
'It is a broad minded institution and 1t
treated me royalty" said he. "a splen-
did spirit of democracy prevails there
among the student body and the faculty,
and | ought to know. for | did every
thing honest I could to earn my way
through. including washing aishes and
W. iting on table
Ensy Flow Of Language.
With an easy flow of language and an
eve ever ready to twinkle with humor.
Tannenbaum sat with pipe in teeth at
his desk in his room in the New Scnool
Of Social Research 465 West Twcn,S-
third street. AS he greeted his guests
he showed aside the final proofs of his
forthcoming book, THE Labor Move
ment," which is to be issued In week
or two.
In reply to the query. would you
fine yourself now as a Socialist" he re-
piled 'T think I am neither Socialist
nor an Anarchist. / certainly am rot an
!. w. W.. though ] joined that organiza-
tion when ] was n rather undeveloped
boy, II years old. and to me the |. w. w.
dream seemed a beautiful vision sun
pose ] am not even a Syndicalist.
"I am primarily a labor unionist, who
believes that the labor union is the in-
portant movement In reconstruct,ny So
ciety and that anybody who wants to
take part In making the world a better
place to live in and who wants to con-
tribute something toward solving some
OF the important problems which group
Is imposing upon society had better join
q labor union while the joining Is good
"T am willing to accept what the labor
movement Is going to make of the world.
And that Is neither a cult nor religion
with me. and much less is it propa
ganda. 1t is merely my recognition of
present condition. To my mind Sam
Compers is a much more useful citizen
than all the most self-conscious revolu-
tiouists. social. economic or political.
why? Because the latter are always
talking of the revolution as something
that Is to come in the future. whereas
the revolution Is taking place to-day In
the gradual substitution of the group
for the individual in our philosophy and
legislation.
Main Interest Defined.
MY main interest is the labor move
pnent, meaning by that not as indicat
ing a problem, but as representing
social metamorphosis. fundamental
change of society. of which the so-called
labor movement Is a dominant vehicle.
The I. w. w. and the American Fedora
ton of Labor and the one big union
movement are only elements in this
fundamental change. People talk OF
the labor movement very often without
a proper sense of perspective. They see
the strike. the battle over wages. the
demand for shorter hours. the use of
the boycott as the outstanding features
OF the situation. But these. after all.
sre only surface indications Of the
fundamental process taking place in the
structure of the social organization.
"One may look at present day society