The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-03-07
If Hillquit Told the Truth
By BURCE

in the Soviet Union to overthrow the Soviet
regime?
HILLQU1T: did more than that When the
Pope started his campaign against the Soviet
Union the New Leader reviled the Soviet Union
and joined in the war chorus. We passed reso-
buttons here even stronger than the Second In
ternational manifesto. Our support of Abramo-
witch, am proud to say, was much stronger
much more open, closer and more enthusiastic
than any of the socialist parties-though they
did their share.
KRYLENKo: Why didn't you do more?
HILQUIT: tried to. But you know conditions
were getting difficult for my beloved American
capitalism. The crisis came on. Millions were
thrown out of work We kept quiet about this
as long as we could. we intensified our attacks
against the Soviet IN. Mass demonstrations
led by the CommunA 5 exposed the terrible star
walton of the American workers, and then, too
we could not answer the decline of unemploy-
ment in the Soviet Union, the advance of the
Five-Year Planf1 while millions were starving
here.
Soon the elections came on. We made alliances
with the republican party. But we did not stop
our organization for intervention in the Soviet
Union We put the details over until after the
elections. During the elections we were doing all
we could to bolster up faith in American capt.
taism. Haywood Broun, Waldman and Norman
Thomas did splendid job for us.
KRYLENKo: We know that But tell us
little more about your support to the counter
revolution in the Soviet Union.
HILQUIT: On Nov. 23rd we called meeting
at the Pennsylvania Hotel New York, to organ
ize our machinery for counter-revolutionary sup
port of Dan and Abramowitch. will quote from
the resolution which sponsored there and which
was passed: "All lovers Of freedom will protest
against RuSsia's rule of blood and we pledge
ourselves to raise money to relieve the suffering
of the heroic victims of the reign of terror"
Naturally, we would support war against "Russia's
rule Of blood" and it was much easier for us to
raise money for the Notwithstanding object of
relieving "the suffering of the heroic victims of
the reign of terror" than for the real purpose
to supply funds for the wreckin work of Gro
man, Sher. Sukhanaavav g. Co. who had made al
iances with the Industrial Party for imperialist
war against the Soyiets.
KRYLENKO: Then Ham Fish knew what he
was talking about when he praised the socialist
party? He had your counter revoutionary ac-
tivty in mind?
HILQUIT: Certainly can best illustrate this
point by quoting from the New York Times of
Nov "a, 1880, referring to the Pennsylvania Hotel
meeting, at which I was the leading figure The
Times said: Mr. Hillquit remarked that in at
lacking Soviet Russia he found himself strange
bedfellow of certain gentlemen in Washington
and other capitals" Fish, Vol and myself I'M
derstood one another. We are working for the
same end but we travelled different roads, Fish
lined up the big boys; VOLTS task was to get the
American Federation of Labor; and mine was to
give the war against the Soviet Union social
ist' blessing
Here was the keynote (again quoting from the
Times as stated it in the Pennsylvania Hotel:
Soviet Russia today is guilty of acts of despot-
ism as terrible as in the days of the Cars, and
is gradually moving away from rather than ap-
preaching the free ideal of free democratic
country" That of course, was intended to get
socialist support for the war, because we would
then be fighting for the free ideal of free
democratic country as we have in the United
States.
KRYLENKO: What was the result?
HILQUTT: Not quite what I expected We
formed our organization alright But we we're
not able to hide our motive. Some of the greener
elements in the socialist party, as well as some
workers that found their way into our ranks
protested We managed to route them, and con-
tinued on our course INA more cautious manner
Naturally the exposures in Moscow, which we will
be forced to brand as lies. disturbed us not
NttlA