2 THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE Saturday, January 11, 1919 The Revolutionary Age France, Italy and throughout America. The central vitally affects the Socialist movement of the world Chronicle and Interpretation of Events in Europe. organ of the French Socialists, Humanite, writes has happened, and it is a preposterous supposition as follows on the threatened allied military campaign that because under one set of circumstances a man is Loots FRAINA Editor against Russia. elected he is the choice of the electorate for all time.
EADMONN MACALPINE Associate Editor All those who contribute to provoke and pro The National Executive Committee advances the Contributing Editors long the war are alarmed at the awakening of the Scort NEARING LUDWIG LORE masses. and demand that the centres of the argument in defense of its action that the time set JOHN REED Sen KATAYAMA people revolution should be promptly suppresfor the opening of the Congress is so short that it HOURWICH WEINSTEIN has no time to appeal to the membership. This is sed. Their anxiety is no longer to conquer the merely paltering. The National Executive Committee ISSUED EVERY SATURDAY enemy, but to preserve from the revolutionary has been approached by various branches and locals By Local Boston, Socialist Party peril the capitalist bourgeoisie of all countries.
of the party to call an Emergency National ConvenH. Steiner, Business Manager They know that the Russian Bolsheviks have tion in order to give the membership an opportunity 885 Washington St. Boston, Mass.
destroyed monarchic and capitalistic privileges, of expressing their will on all the matters arising out have placed their hands upon the property of soBundle orders 2c a copy, Subscription 00 for the present crisis through which the world is passsix months (26 issues)
cial parasites. Anything sooner than that. Their ing, and particularly to deal with the convocation of hatred of the enemy is giving place to the desire Saturday, January 11, 1919 an International Socialist Congress. However, the of coming to an understanding with him, so as to National Executive Committee has not been able bar the advance of this scourge, which is worse, Louis Fraina, editor of The Revolutionary Age, to meet since the armistice was signed. They have in their eyes, than war or pestilence. That a is at present in Essex County jail, Newark, servput off meeting time and time again on various paltry new war should be undertaken tomorrow awar ing a thirty day sentence which was imposed for a excuses and when the call came for an International waged by the international counter revolution, a speech made at a meeting of Conscientious Objectors Socialist Convention they selected delegates by telecrusade against the peoples who are progressing in New York during the first months of the war.
gram.
towards political and economic enfranchisement Fraina appealed the case and on the decision going. this is possible, but surprises await the initiatThe constitution of the Socialist Party provides against him he presented himself for sentence on ors of such an adventure. They will no longer for the election of delegates to International Sociallast Tuesday. Ralph Cheyne, who was chairman be able to plead the necessities of national defense, ist Conventions, it provides several ways in which of the meeting, was also sertenced to thirty days and and the necessities of capitalist defense are not they may be elected, but it does not provide that the is at present undergoing sentence.
of a nature to roise the enthusiasm of the masses.
National Executive Committee shall appoint delegates.
On the contrary, the workers will perceive clearly The appointment of the present men is contrary to They Are Still There!
that they are being thrown against one another the constitution, it is arbitary and it is illegal. It makes no difference whether the choice is a wise one ENATOR La Follette reopened the matter of the only in order that their chains may be riveted, and American troops at present in Russia operating the domination of their masters consolidated.
or not, the action is illegal. The Socialist Party has against the Bolsheviki, in a speech in the Senate on But in spite of all these protests the snows of Nor. insisted that the delegates of the United States govJanuary 7, which he declared was inspired by the thern Russia are being dyed with blood. The Soviets ernment to the Peace Conference should be appointed hundreds of letters he receives daily from the people proclaim that all they wish is for the Allies to with by a referandum vote of the people but in the appointof Wisconsin asking why their sons are kept in draw so that they may build up their government in ment of Socialist delegates the National Executive Russia when the war is over. In the course of his peace. They disclaim any wish to wage war upon the Committee ignores the membership of the party.
speech he declared that The great organized wealth Allied countries. The Allies declare they will not Algernon Lee, one of the appointees, is the leader of all the countries of the earth fears the principles send any more troops, but still the fighting continues, of the Socialist group in the New York City Board that the Soviet government is tryin to establish still the dreary spectre of war haunts the frozen of Aldermen and his actions and those of his coland that If the Soviet government, of which we Steppes.
leagues in that body have not found favor with a know so little, is the sort of government that The chief reason advanced by the United States considerable section of the membership of the party 140, 000, 000 or 150, 000, 000 Russians desire, that is Government for its participation in intervention in in New York. On one occasion 27 branches of New their business and not our business.
Russia was to protect the Czecho Slovaks. According York Local voted to censure their actions, advocated In response to the question raised by the speech to a dispatch from Vladivostok the Czecho Slovaks the withdrawal of the group from the Board of AlderSenator Swanson, speaking for the Foreign Relations refused on November 24 to take part in an offensive men and only or voted to uphold the actions of Committee, explained that it was expected that Se against the Soviet Republic, feeling that the Allies the Socialist Aldermen. At the present moment there nator Hitchcock would make a statement on the Rus had betrayed them. Imperial Germany is destroyed, is a movement to withdraw them from the Board. In sian situation at an early date and then proceeded to destroyed by the influence of the Bolshevik ideas, view of these facts Lee chances of election as one belabor the Bolshevik government for its sympathy the Czecho Slovaks refuse to fight against the Soof the delegates to represent the Socialist Party of towards Imperial Germany. All the old tales were viet Republic. The two chief reasons advanced for America in Europe are at least debatable and his reiterated and apparently Senator Swanson has not intervention have disappeared but alien troops are appointment is directly contrary to Socialist practices.
heard that Imperial Germany is no more. But even still at Archangel and Vladivostok.
But before electing delegates the American Socialif what Senator Swanson intimates is true it would ist Party has first to decide whether or not it will partbe interesting to know why press dispatches of the International Socialist Delegates icipate in a conference called by Social patriots of the same date from London announce that Great Britain type of Huysmans. According to the press the Boldoes not intend to send any more troops to. ussia IN answer to the call of Camille Huysmans for an sheviki have refused to participate in the congress on and is endeavoring to withdraw those she has there International Socialist Congress to be convened the grounds that it is called by reactionary Socialists as quickly as possible. Surely England is interested at Lausanne, Switzerland, the National Executive and will not be representative of the revolutionary in preventing Imperial Germany from being aided Committee of the Socialist Party of America announSocialism that is sweeping triumphantly over Europe.
by Russia. And why did the Japanese announce the ces that it has appointed Algernon Lee, James Oneal If the revolutionary sections of the Socialist movewithdrawal of their troops?
and John Work as delegates. The statement pubment repudiate this conference then the membership As a matter of fact it is clear that none of the govlished in the New York Call goes on to say that on of the American Socialist Party must also refuse to ernments who have foreign troops in Russia are will a referendum vote taken over a year ago, when the participate or else align itself with the reactionaries ing to make statements to their peoples as to what Stockholm Conference was to be held, Morris Hill who accepted and condoned the war.
exactly their intentions are with regard to Russia. quit, Victor Berger and Algernon Lee were elected The only way in which American Socialism can Now that pressure is being exerted to force an expla to attend that body and intimates that the appointnation they are announcing their intention of withment of the three men named as the Lausanne delearrive at a decision that will reflect the wishes of the drawing the trcops. But are these announcements gates was governed by the vote cast on the former membership is through an Emergency National Conbeing translated into action? Simultaneously with occasion, Hillquit being unable to go to Europe owing vention. The National Executive Committee is emsuch announcements comes the news of heavy to ill health which has held him confined for some powered to call such a convention and the memberfighting between the Allies and the Bolsheviki. months past and Berger being at the present moment ship of the party should insist that it act without a moment delay.
What is the object of this fighting? What is to be standing trial under the Espionage Act.
gained by killing the men of either side when the As a matter of fact the three men elected to attend Labor and the New Era Allies are about to withdraw? Surely, it is useless the Stockholm Conierence were Hillquit, Kirpatrick to send soldiers into battle to meet mutilation and and Berger. None of the present appointees were TX periods of transition, such as the world is now death unless some definite object is to be accomplished elected, nor did any of them even run fourth, that passing through, old conceptions of old things are and surely the peoples of the Allied nations are en position being taken by Scott Nearing. But even if swept aside and old conceptions of new movements titled to know what this object is so that they may they had all been elected to attend the Stockholm Con must be also swept away. Any change in the world say whether or not they want their husbands, sons ference it is the meanest kind of subterfuge to pre affair must necessarily affect all the peoples and all and brothers to continue fighting.
sume that such an election would give them any claim sections of society. Particularly is that section of From all the Allied countries protests are arising to attend a Congress called under altogether different society affected which is the instrument of the partiagainst intervention in Russia. None of the common circumstances and facing entirely new problems. In cular change in question. In succeeding eras the people want to wage war against the Russians. Every the lapse of time between the attempt to convene the aristocracy, the upper middle classes and the lower