SOCIALISM IN AMERICA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXI, Issue 15332, 15 June 1910, Page 9

SOCIALISM IN AMERICA.

TO THE EDITOB. Sir,—From time to time during the past twelvo months or so, small items cf American political news havo appeared in the columns of the newspapers here. They have been somewhat incoherent, aiid conveyed little, if any. information to tho average reader, and have remained uncommonted upon by the editors. The latest bit is that published on June 7, reporting President Taft to have said in a public speech: " That Socialism Was the great problem confronting America, and that the issue would soon come, aud must bo skilfully met." This bit of news has no direct bearing upon other items published recentlv, and has not been commented upon by any newspaper here, so far as I am' aware. Yet such a statement coming from a man occupying the position President Taft does, is surely vory significant. It must mean that there aro some rapidly developing political symptoms in the United States, upon which cable news agencies are silent because they are controlled by capitalistic interests, and our editors are silent because they probably are ig-

norant. Now, under modern conditions all movements of any consequence have journalistic organs, and some fair judgment of the progress of a movement may bo obtained by a knowledge of its journals and the influence exerted by its journalists. In America there are a number of Socialist journals, but tho one which is a # t present exerting the greatest influence is doubtless the militant propaganda journal, tho " Appeal to Reason," published at Girard, in Kansas. This little paper is run by as smart and enterprising and fearless a set of journalists as ever used ink, and as they are not out on a commercial scheme", but on a political one, they aro evidently waking things up in tho States. Some time ago I drew your attention to this little journal and the work it' was doing, incidentally referring to an exposure it had made of certain shady financial transactions to which Theodore Roosevelt had been a partv. and to the attempt which was then being made by the United States

Government to suppress tho journal. The method adopted was to involvo tho paper in a series of costly law cases, which, if not successful in getting the paper suppressed, might ruin it through heavy law costs, and so put it out of business. The answer of the " Appeal to Reason " journalists was to get on the warpath with a vengeance. It has exposed in a most merciless manner to the broadest daylight, corruption in the Federal judiciary, which is simply staggoring. The outcome of it is that instead of the " Appeal to Reason " being suppressed it has increased its influence at a tremendous rate; it has increased its prepaid subscription circulation by 104,000 in ten months, from 280,668 to 384,000, while its total weekly circulation runs to tho thereabouts of half a million, with occasional leaps toward the million mark when numbers contain special articles. No wonder Taft is getting a bit uneasy; lie can see it coming. I send you herewith for your perusal, somo of the copies most recently to hand, one of which I have marked, as it outlines the case that the United States Government had got up to try and crush the " Appeal."—l am, etc., A.H.S.