Evening star., 1927-10-19

plans were discussed 1Or the IOTtn
coming national convention Of the So
cialist party, which will be held here
next April. The convention is sched
uled to open April 10. Arrangements
also were made to conduct an indie.
pendent campaign for the Socialist
party's candidates for president and
vice president.
Socialists to Have Wet Plank.
Representative Berger. who came to
New York to aid in the Socialist party
campaign to re.elect Municipal Court
Justice Jacob Pankin, said last night
that the Socialist national platform
to be framed at the April convention
will contain wet plank. Other is.
sues to be espoused by the Socialists
in their 1928 campaign include ma
tional ownership of water power and
unemployment insurance, Berger said.
The newly. elected Socialist party
leader predicted the nomination and
election Of Alfred L. Smith to the
presidency in 1928.
IF the Democrats do not name Al
Smith, then it matters little who they
name," Berger said. Their prospects
will be hopeless.
IF the Democrats nominate him
he would not only carry the solid
South. despite religious prejudice, hut
he would also carry New York, New
Jersey. Connecticut, probably Ken.
lucky and, in a pinch, Illinois,"
Representative Berger declared that
he was confident that Smith would
accomplish this. even though Presi.
dent Coolidge was his opponent.
Helped Organize Party.
Berger now becomes national chair
ganize nearly 80 years ago. He was
the first Socialist to enter Congress
when he took his seat as a Repre-.
sentative from Wisconsin in 1910.
In 1918 Berger was convicted with
four other Socialist party officials for
violation of the espionage act based
on speeches he delivered and articles
written by him for his paper, the Mil.
waukee Leader. in opposition to Amer.
lean participation in the war. He
was sentenced by Federal Judge
Lands to 20 years imprisonment.
The conviction was reversed by the
Supreme Court. While under sen.
tence he was twice elected to Con.
gress. but denied his seat. He was
seated on his third election and since
has been a member OF the House of
Representatives.
''If Gov. Smith is elected" Berger
said, my advice to him on the ques.
tion of prohibition would be to favor
a policy Of leaving dry enforcement
to the several States, withholding
Federal support Of the law. That
would cause 1t to become ineffective
and inert"
Doubts Norris Chances.
Regarding the prohibition situation
Berger said:
This country was on the verge
OF becoming nation of soft.drink
consumers, but now it is a nation OF
hard drinkers and there is more
drunkenness than ever. Prohibition
got into the Constitution as a war
measure and don't know how we
are going to get it out except on the
theory that a law which is against
public policy should not be obeyed."
Berger discounted the presidential
chances Of United States Senator
Georme w. Norris of Nebraska and of
former Gov. Frank o. Lowden. He
characterized as ''moonshine" the
statement that Lowden was the farm.
ers' friend.
Nothing can help the farmer" he
said. The farmer paid the cost OF
the war. Attempts to legislate have
not helped him. The McNary .Haugen
bill Is fool bill. I voted against II
twice and voted for It the third time
only because the farmers wanted it."
Berger declared that the so.called
Progressive party in Wisconsin had
no right to use the Republican label.
He conceded that the La Toilette In
fuence in the State was powerful and
that 1t would swing support to Sen.
ator Norris.