This is a LibriVox recording it has been edited compiled and distributed by Audible Anarchist
Anarchists demand strike to end war from the New York Times
dated May 19
1917
recorded for librivox.org
by Liane Howlett
Anarchists demands strike to end war! Great gathering of IWW and other agitators rails against selective draft
Germans in the audience.
Emma Goldman urges workers to follow Russia's lead, police take notes, but make no arrests
The Harlem River casino at one 26th Street and 2nd Avenue
Was the scene last night of a wild anti conscription
demonstration in the course of which the government of the United States was denounced and referred to as a tool of the capitalist classes.
Young men liable to military service under the Selective draft Act were urged to defy the
government and refuse to serve if called to the colors a
general strike on the part of all working people as a
protest against the entry of the country into the European war and a nationwide campaign to
frustrate the efforts of the government to raise armies for the defense of the country's rights
would be among the things the future has in store for the country if those who packed the casino had their way.A
appeal to the working men to follow the example of the Russians and form a working men's committee to run the country was also urged
the
Meeting was addressed by anarchists, IWW agitators, and persons who styled themselves socialists, Emma
Goldman was one of them.
Alexander Berkman who served a term in the penitentiary for attempting to assassinate Henry C Frick was another
Leonard D. Abbott, well-known as an IWW sympathizer was another
Harry Weissberger who says no power on earth can make him fight was another
Also present and among the talkers was Leonor O'Reilly while among those listed but who did not speak was Carlo Tresca the Italian
IWW leader and Jacob Pankan.
Outside the building and inside were about 100 policemen who had been instructed to preserve order
They made no arrests, although rumors flew about the hall that an arrest was impending
Especially while Emma Goldman was talking
She was the one who predicted
a nationwide strike to embarrass the government and denounced the authorities in Washington as being on a par with the old powers in Russia
She begged the audience to make no hostile demonstration. Should anybody try to create disorder by "waving the American flag"
To police stenographers sitting in the gallery took down every word set by the speakers
These notes will be gone over today
And if a digest of the speeches seems to warrant it
action against the speakers may be taken either by the police or by the federal authorities. As
each person entered the hall he or she was presented with two circulars in one captioned
"No conscription" the "No Conscription League" of twenty East 125th Street
Exhorted young men to resist the enforcement of the Selective draft
the other was an appeal to the workers of the country to follow the example of Russia and
Form a Council of workers to act with the Council of workmen's and soldiers delegates of Russia against the war
According to the public announcement of Emma Goldman. The meeting was not financed by German money. "The Kaiser"
She shouted "has not put up a cent for the cause"
However, there were many Germans in the audience an interested onlooker was former coroner Gustav Scholer
Dr. Scholer had a seat in the wings of the stage out of the view of the audience when Elihu Root's name as head of
The American Commission to Russia was mentioned by Emma Goldman
Hisses came from every part of the hall
Weissberger who talked first spoke until he became so hoarse. He had to quit after him came Louis Frana,
introduced as a socialist of nationwide prominence
He said the motto of all the people should from this on be "They shall not conscript."
He referred to the Wilson administration as the government of the classes which is introducing into this country a system of government which among other things
seeks to destroy individual liberty and expression of thought.
Frana said the war was not a war for democracy
But a war to protect the war profits of the ruling classes; as he spoke
Somebody shouted that "it was a dastardly lie" to say that the United States went to war to save democracy
Whereupon everybody. It seemed shouted his or her approval
The document circulated among those in the audience calling for a workman's council in America in part read
"Fellow workers of the United States, why don't you do the same thing here that your brother workers are doing in Russia?
Why shouldn't the same wonderful and heartening things that have been happening in Russia began to happen right here?
Are we workers of America going to let the workers and soldiers of Russia do the only wonderful and heartening things that are being done
President Wilson has said that America stands supremely for peace and
Yet today the only place in Christendom where a single step is being taken toward peace is Russia
War has come to a standstill in Russia. The Russian workers are seeking for peace in this world
Workers of America, what are you going to do?
It isn't enough for you to refuse to fight to resist conscription to denounce the government
It is the business of American workers to do what their Russian brothers have done
The only enemy's American workers have are in America are the men who have taken the land
Who are taking enormous profits from their toil and who have them imprisoned or shot when they rebel as
has been done in West Virginia in Colorado in
California in
Massachusetts and a thousand places where the workers have rebelled against slavery and injustice
Let the workers of the united states at once follow the heartening example of their russian brothers and former nationwide council of workers
Which shall work hand in hand with the Council of workmen and soldiers in Russia
against a war that cripples or kills millions of working people and
Enriches a few capitalists and inaugurate here as in Russia the reign of freedom justice and peace."
The purposes of the no conscription league were set forth in its circular in part as follows
"We oppose conscription because we are internationalists
anti-militarists-- and opposed to all wars waged by capitalistic governments!
We will fight for what we choose to fight for we will never fight simply because we were ordered to fight
we believe that the militarization of America is an evil that far outweighs in its antisocial and anti libertarian effects any
Good that may come from America's participation in the war
We will resist conscription by every means in our power and we will sustain those who for similar reason refused to be conscripted.
Resist conscription! organize meetings join our league send us money.
Help us to give assistance to those who come in conflict with the government
Help us to publish literature against militarism and against conscription."
Other meetings similar to that of last night will be held in other parts of the city shortly. It was announced
End of article. This recording is in the public domain
This has been a LibriVox recording it was edited compiled and distributed by Audible Anarchist
