AMERICAN SOCIALISTS

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 35, 10 August 1921, Page 12

AMERICAN SOCIALISTS

REFUSE TO BOW TO MOSCOW

SOVIET CALLED MURDERERS.

Refusing by a vote of 35 to 4 to affiliate with the Third Internationale of Moscow, the Socialist Party of tho United States in annual convention at Detroit opposed international relations of any kind and will pursue its course alone for the next you*. The vote came after three, hours of heated debate, during which Victor ■Berge, Morris Hillquit, Algernon Lee, and other leaders denounced the Soviet Government as the murderers of the Socialists of Russia, and as a "wrecking crew" bent on the destruction of Socialist parties throughout the world. ■

At one tfcne Chairman Hiilquit threatened to clear the galleries when communist sympathisers started a demonstration.

Unlike the conventions of the last two years, which have expressed sympathy with Bolshevik aims and sought) some form of international relationship, this year's gathering showed scant patience with the extreme Left 1 Wing (states the New York Time*). In >th& general resentment against the arbitrary terms offered by Moscow as the basis on whioh the 1 American Socialists conld join the Third Internationale, tho convention voted down all proposals for foreign affiliations, including a motion to join the "tiro and a half" internationale at Vienna, sponsored by the "Centrist" faction.

"I iw»nt no dictstaffebip," Mr. Berger declared in his attack ;on the Soviet Government. "I have had the dictatorship of Burleson, the dictatorship of Wilson, and the dictatorship of Palmer. That is all the dictatorship I woi»t for the rest of my life." Morris Hillquit told the convention 1 tfiat Karl Marx had (laid. down, fch.9 rule that the first duty of Socialists was to fight capitalism in their own country. He opposed international affiliation on the, ground that American Socialists could not fight capitalists in Russia, Germany, or other countries. "And besides," he added, "the Russians have told us many times that they did not want us."

He styled the Engdahl proposition "a motion to commit, suicide." "The socalled Russian Internationale," he added, "i 3 Imperialism in disguise."

J. Louis Engdahl, of Chicago, one of the radicals, declared the Soviet Government of Russia the only international movement that was worth while,' and urged the adoption of'his resolution f|>r affiliation on the terms laid dawn by Moscow. These included submission to orders from Russia, change of the party ■name to "Communist," and banishment of Hillquit and other "reformiists" Jrom the party. .■■" Kruse, sponsor of the plan to reopen negotiations, said there was no difference between, the Soviet "wrecking crew" and some leaders of American Socialists. Referring to the expulsion of many supporters of the Soviets from the party, Kruse said: "Before the. American wrecking crewgot <• busy we had more than 100,000 members, and to-day -we have ■17,<ai0."

William Coleman, of Wisconsin, saidl the Communists were, "expert disorganisers," bent on wrecking not only the Socialist Party, but al«o Labour union. "Get your brains a^ay frjiin Moscow and put them to work here at home ,where your stomacha are," he advised. • ■ ' ,

Cameron King, v : of California, .urged support Of the "two and a half Internationale of-Vienpa, which includes the Jxmg'uet faction of French Socialists, the German Independent Social Democrats, and Socialists of Switzerland and 1 the Balkans. ■

The Extreme Right not only controlled the 'day in the field of international relations, but made a clean sweep'; of the permanent > organisation.> Morris Hillquit, who was elected chairman, de: clareu in his opening address that the capitalist Governments of the world had sustained a death-blow as a result of the war,' fronfvvrhich they could never recover. Mayor. Daniel Hoan, of Milwaukee, was chosen vice-chairman.

The National Committee reported the party membership had fallen to 17,000, a decrease of 10,000 from last- year. Four thousand were lost when the Finnish Federation withdrew in a body,to support the Third Internationale. The convention voted to send a telegram to Eugene Debs, in Atlanta Penitentiary, expressing tihe sympathy of