The New York herald., 1921-12-04

and had already lived with two other men.
No wonder I firmly announced myself as
old fashioned. No wonder I listened un-
moved to the arguments against patriot
ism against preparedness, for immediate
peace, neutral conference and the rest of
those strange cries Of 19141917 so often
on the lips of the radicals! But though
had indeed lost faith in their modern the
cries, yet l still had confidence in what 1
liked to call the religion Of the Socialists
that is, had confidence in their sincere
endeavor to make the world better place
through a humanitarian programme.
~ NCE we were in the war it was not
long before I found something to
do connected with it--first. as sec
retary for volunteers of Mayor Mitchers
Committee on National Defence and later
as secretary of the speakers bureau OF
a patriotic organization. Once more
l was closely associated with Socialists,
largely with those who had left the party
on account of it's war platform and who Of
fered their services in the allied cause.
few of these had run across before, but
most Of the charming foreign men-Greeks,
Rumanians, Armenians, Australians, New
Zealanders, Italians and even two Germans
supposedly converted )-were strangers to
me- BY the time that I got to the National
Speakers Bureau was so well acquainted
with the talents of the foreigners in ques-
tion that the director Of the speakers
bureau put me in charge of this group of
speakers. And thereby hangs my tale.
1t had seemed wise in those days to
choose reconverted Socialist to go down
to the great Socialist centres in order to
reconcile the young men to the draft, and
then to put the fire of patriotism into their
hearts Indeed, had lately seen this mir
acle happen when had accompanied-let
us call him Fred Reynolds, an old acquaint-
ance and a former Socialist, who had
turned patriot-as he filled one of these
difficult assignments. What ringing de-
nunciation of the Germans he gave! What
a stirring account of his own conversion!
And what magnificent enthusiasm he
wrung from his audience! / was so happy
that I at once gave Reynolds another as
signment of the same nature for the next
week. And 1t was altogether by accident
that / happened upon him speaking at a
Socialist meeting of which knew nothing
the very next day 1t was even partly ac-
cidental that I refrained from letting him
know that I was in his audience. For
had come in late and as I observed the
sea of eager, swarthy, discontented faces
about me I thought It as well to remain
where | was.
It was well indeed. For here at last
found out what had so long eluded me, the
true meaning of Socialism! In that clever,
guarded speech, keeping carefully within
the letter of the law, making the most Of
his points between the lines, the speaker
made the truth about Socialism fairly stick
out. 1t seemed that he had resigned from
the party not because he did not believe in
the overthrow of our capitalistic Govern
ment not because he did not believe in
tho Socialists confiscating all private prop
erty (as their right, or in the dictatorship
of the proletariat or in the disarming or
the bourgeose, Not at all! Thanks to
my familiarity with the catch phrases OF
Socialism Imperfect as this war; l gath
cred that the speaker merely didn't con-
s;der the time ripe or even propitious for
a revolution. He suggested putting off
the great moment to-day, but only because
it could be successfully achieved tomorrow.
He inferred that it would be wise to accept
the draft, help the Allies destroy the Ger
man capitalists, thus gaining the conf
dence of patriots here; and then, after the
war was over, work all the more success
fully for the revolution.
At last I could boast of understanding
the very philosophy of Socialism! GER
tain paragraph OF "The Communist Mani
festo" Up. 33) which I had once accepted
in a purely Pickwickian sense now sprang
into my mind
"In one word, you reproach us with In
tending to do away with your property.
Precisely so; that is just what we in
tend"
How was il, asked myself, that could
not have grasped before the crystal clear
ness of these words? At this distance
could only surmise that in the old days
nv mind had been so confused by hear
ing SO much Of "all sides of the ques
tion" Gas we'll as by the lack of any seri
ous study that l was incapable of any
clear judgment.
From that time on, however, have
made up for my previous failure to study.
I know 1.-THE Communist Manifesto and
even the Socialist constitution of to-day
so well that can see for myself that
Socialism carried to its logical conclusion
must always end in what some call boil
shevism and others communism. l even