ANARCHISTS AND ANARCHISM.

Evening Star, Issue 12875, 26 July 1906, Page 8

ANARCHISTS AND ANARCHISM.

The Anarchist baffles analysis. Mr Morley Roberts, who tells us that at one time he knew members of the London group'intimately, gives his opinion that Anarchism is- as truly endemic in Western civilisations as cholera is in India.” He argues that the “red wing” of the Anarchists is a very small section of the body. “ There is no doubt that those of the dynamite section are practically insane. . . . Perhaps it may not be out of place to suggest that a little investigation might be better ■ than denunciation, which is always wide qi the mark, and that as Anarchism is created by the social system of repression, more repression will only create more Anarchism.” The paradox is certainly true of the Anarchists that repression does not repress. The French Government published m 1894 an ‘ Anarchist Album * containing about 500 photographs of Anarchists, which is used by the police of every country. Within two months afterwards President Carnot was assassinated. That same year saw Anarchism rampant in nearly every country in Europe. According to Detective-Inspector Sweeney, a more stormy year than 1894 has not been known to the police since the forces of anarchy were ‘ first put through any sort of organisation. In his published reminiscences, Mr Sweeney, who was in the Criminal Investigation Department of Scotland Yard, runs over the Anarchist crimes of that “very black twelvemonth. ” ♦ * * ♦ « The year opened with the execution of Vaillant for throwing a bomb at the President of the French Chamber of Deputies. The man greeted the sentence of death with a cry of “Vive T Anarchic!” A week after the execution Emile Henry, a youth of twenty, threw a bomb into the Cafe Terminus at Paris, killing two people and injuring others. Three other explosions followed in succeeding weeks, and then came the tragedy of the French President’s death. In Spain a bomb was thrown at Marshal Campos; and in Italy the Anarchists perpetrated several crimes during 1894. Two persons were killed by a bomb explosion m March outside the Chamber of Deputies in Rome. Signor Crispi was shot at in June, and a fortnight later the proprietor of a newspaper which had published articles against the Anarchists was murdered at Leghorn. Even London had a few mild Anarchist sensations that year. Two foreigners, Polti and Farnara, were canght with some intention of dropping a bomb in the Royal Exchange. A man named Rolla Richards got seven years for blowing up a number of post offices in South London. A mysterious explosion, believed to be the work of Anarchists, occurred at the bouse of Lord Esher in Mayfair. * * * *

One of the foulest of the Anarchist crimes was the assassination of the Empress of Austria at Geneva by an Italian in 1898. A cry ,of anger rang throughout the whole of Europe. The feeling found expression in an international conference opened in Rome soon after the outrage. Sir Philip Currie, Sir Godfrey Lushington, and Sir Howard Vincent attended as British delegates. The conference sat In camera, but it was understood that an arrangement was come to whereby the various Governments should assist each other as to the movements of Anarchists known to the police. Whatever was done had no effect, for six months later Kong Humbert of Italy fell a victim to an Anarchist plot at Monza. America was horrified by the shooting of President M Kmley at Buffalo in the following year. The culprit in this case, Leon Czolgosz, was of German Polish extraction. He callously remarked when arrested : “ I am an Anarchist, and I Bid my duty.” By far the best account of Anarchism in England is that which “Miss Isabel Meredith” gave to the world two years ago. The name is the nom-de-plome of the daughter of a popular poet who died about a score of years ago. 1 A Girl Among the Anarchists, as her book is called, is known to be a life picture of her own vivid experiences as a member of tho London group until the day disillusion came, and she walked into the London street a sadder if a wiser woman.” On one occasion she parted in London from one of the foreign members of the group, and awaited news of his “mission” to the Continent. It came on a newspaper placard m the street : “ Shocking Outrage in Madrid. Attempt on the Life of Spanish Prime Minister. Many victims. Arrest of Anarchist Assassin. London Police on Scent.” * * * * • . ?he found among the Anarchists fanaticism, heroism, criminality, and not infrequently a spicing of genius. The fanaticism showed itself sometimes in the most admirable _ self-abnegation, sometimes in the sacrifice of wealth, position, and happiness, and frequently in ddeds of violence. What genuine Anarchists there are in England, she states, are mostly foreigners. England has witnessed no fatalities as a result of Anarchist plots, though a foreigner named Bourdin lost his life in Greenwich Park a few years ago by the explosion of a bomb in his possession. It is worth noting that when the Italian Polti was arrested in London in 1894 he made a statement declaring that the Anarchists had no wish to do any harm in England. There was gieat excitement among the Italians of Saffron Hill* Holborn, whep Polti was arrested in their midst. Father Rossi, of the Italian Church there, said at the time ; I am not afraid of my dear people ; but I am afraid of the secret societies, which undermine society. We have in this parish about 3,000 Italians, 1 am sorry to say that only about 1,200 are amenable to the Church/ We of the clergy have noticed discontent lately among our people, and this is simply due, in ray opinion, to the manifestations of secret societies, with which, I am sorry to say, my poor countrymen intermingle ” Can anything be done? Dr E. V Zenker, of Vienna, who has written an exhaustive criticism' and history of the theory, declares’ that exceptional legislation should be avoided. To fanatics who long for the martyr's crown punishment no longer appears a deterrent, but an atonement. And he maintains that a movement like Anarchism cannot be conquered by force and injustice, but only by justice and freedom. ‘Daily News.