For your information would say that circle Elizabeth was the first one start the anti-conscription movement in Jersey, and the whole state is falli in line. You realize the importance of pushing this thing along and make it national affair, or else our local movement will go to the dogs. Awaiting your early reply, I am Thanks for the sample of the card you put out, it is a little better in make-up than my idea and I have submitted it to Germer. We are going to get these out In large quantities, and under another cover I am sending you a batch of petitions to send out. I have succeeded in getting an N. E. C. Motion to the effect that the Party and Y. P. A. L. hold great mass meeting in July 4th, in conjunction with other organizations, for the purpose of demanding a referendum on conscription, and a definite statement of the terms on which Wilson will make peace. Have already secured the support of Work and Berger to it, another vote will clinch it Hope to make it that of Maley. If it goes thru we will get out a special edition of the American Socialist for general distribution. In the meantime, get out as many petitions and signatures as you possibly This is needed as a foundation for the meeting, use it as a mailing list when it comes to work for the July 4th demonstration. We are going to Do can. Rand School, 140 E. 19th St., New York City. Please send immediately copies all socialist resolutions on war etc. contained your new pamphlet. Important. I am I just received your telegram which you sent me in Germer's name. forwarding by registered mail copies of various resolutions which were com piled for the proposed pamphlet. You will note that the manifesto of the National Executive Committee of January, 1917, addressed to the Socialist parties of Europe and printed in the report of the N. E. C. to the St. Louis Convention. s not included. It is possible that I failed to discover some resolutions adopted during the last three years. I relied entirely upon the files of the American Socialist and the New York Call. The pamphlet will be out within a week and will contain an extensive introduction by Morris Hillquit. The various resolutions will also be 595 preceded by introductory remarks. The whole matter will be presented in much better shape than you will find the copies of the resolutions which I am mailing you as they are merely notes from the files of the papers. Hoping that the material will be of service to you, I remain, Copies of resolutions to be included in your phamphlet have been received here. Thank you very much for your prompt response. Please let us have sample copies of this for review, as well as price lists singly and in quantity, just as soon as the form is out. You may count on some free press agent work from this end. 596 I am now working on an article giving the reasons why socialists claim conscientious objection to military service, which is to make quotations from these resolutions, and that is why Comrade Germer and I sent you that urgent telegram. Again thanking you for your prompt response and with best wishes for the success of your work, I remain, Yours for comradeship, National Secretary Young Peoples Socialist League." 597 GOVERNMENT EXHIBIT 85. Dear Comrade Kruse: Only to inform you that circumstances forced our late secretary to resign and I was elected to his place. So please from now on send all the mail to my address, which I am giving in this letter. I would be very pleased if you could answer my question about which we had a little discussion in our last meeting. Our late secretary joined the medical corps of one of the Hospitals from the City. He says he done it to escape the draft and he says that at least he don't have to fight, if he will be with the doctors. Do you think he was right in doing that? Some of our members say no and some of them seem indiferent to it. Will you please please give me your opinion on that subject. Enclosing you will find check for the payment of 100 copies of Liberty edition which you will mail also to my address. Your order for 100 copies of the 'Liberty Edition' has been received and entered. The papers will be sent you just as soon as they are out-about July 1st. As to the action, of Comrade Senkyr (whom I suppose to mean to refer to in your last letter), that is really a matter on which the individual, and not the organization must take the stand. If a man is subject to the draft and has no apparent means of exemption from the tragic compulsion, or attempted compu1 sion to slay his fellow workers, I cannot blame him if he will turn in any way he possible can to avoid such compulsion. We are opposed to war. We do not want to kill our fellow working man. The one question then ariece as to how we can best make our feeling known and enforce our principles. Some think it is by refusing absolutely to touch a gun and to rot in prison, or face a firing squad rather than do so; others feel that while we should not willingly go into the armed forces, still if we are drafted they feel that we should go and do our best to spread the light of educa 599 tion among the soldiers. However the case is decided, it must be decided upon the basis of the individual's conscience. If a man's conscience or principles forbade him to register, he would refuse to register; if they forbade him to touch a gun, he will refuse to touch a gun; if they even forbade him to resist the draft, he will not resist. As an organization we are opposed to war, but it remains for the individual to say just what form that opposition should be taken. Personally, I can see no difference between the man who take a gun and kills his brother man and thereby makes himself a good soldier, and the man who with bandages and instruments patches up another so that he may go back and once more himself become a good soldier. If I had my way, thinking as I do that all war is wrong, I would absolutely abolish the Red Cross and every other humanitarian institution that is used in warfare. I would want to make war so outrageously horrible that no man would ever dare to even to suggest fighting another battle. War is absolutely wrong and the only way that we can ever stop it is to get the people enough of it-and then some. Let it be understood that it shall be hell let loose, that no mercy, no justice, no humane 600 ness would have anything to do let loose, that thing to do with the barbarities of the battle field. That quicker than anything else, would awaken the people to the true conditions that we are facing. But that is only my personal opinion, understand. The organization, so far as I can see, has no right to throw out a man for joining a hospital unit, and especially in the case of Comrade Senkyr, I think it would be absolutely wrong to do so. However, this is a question that you will have to decide and trusting that you will decide yourselves correctly, I remain 601 Yours for comradeship National Secretary, Young Peoples Socialist League." GOV. EX. 86 Socialist Party National Office Executive Secretary Walter Lanfersiek Y. P. S. L. Young People's Socialist League W. F. Kruse National Secretary Don Wilson, 601 Linden St., Terre Haute, Ind. Dear Comrade Wilson: Chicago, Ill. June 22, 1917 I was very glad to see your league order for 2000 copies of the "Price We Pay", but since no credit is given for literature purchases I cannot accede to your request for credit on the contest. However, that should not deter you from putting out just as much literature as you possibly can. Looking forward to a very successful meeting and picnic with you all on July 4th, I remain 602 Jacob Silieus, 3429 S. Union Ave., Chicago, Ill. Dear Comrade: Yours for comradeship WM. F. KRUSE National Secretary. Young Peoples Socialist League. GOV. EX. 87. June 27, 1917 I am deeply interested in the case that you have refered to me, but do not quite know what to advise. This war has raised questions that make or break he life not only of our organization, but also of each individual member. Some of the questions are such that they cannot be answered by one individual for nother. The Socialist Party when the question for registration came up, efused to advise its members one way or the other, on the ground that a lecision on this point was so important to the individual that such individual would have to settle the question for himself. It would seem to me that a great many of these other questions are exactly of the same nature. Certainly he one which Comrade Mankus has raised is. Each and every one of our young members will be confronted with the choice of getting into the army ›r getting into jail. Personally, I hope for the good of the movement that many of them will go to jail. But I would not urge any member to do so because it is his body that is to be imprisoned, not mine; his future perhaps to be blasted by such action and not my future. Confronted with a situation of this kind herefore, I would say that regardless of whether I agree with this comrade's action or not, and regardless of whether I would do the same thing if I 303 were in his place, there is nothing in the Socialist constitution or principles which forbids a man to take such action as Comrade Mankus has taken. Enclosed herewith you will find a copy of the Y. P. S. L. constitution. The address of the newly elected secretary of the league is Mrs. A. W. Kruse, 242 N. Lincoln St. Chicago, Ill. Trusting that this information answers your question and with best wishes, I remain Yours for comradeship National Secretary Young Peoples Socialist League. 604 June 26, 1917 Dear Comrade: In this very important minute we have to face with many important problems, so that some of them we are unable to solve. One of the most important problems we have ever seen faced with and which we are unable to solve rightly is this: Now One member of our league, Comrade Mankus, made an agreement with a feleral government that he (Mankus) agrees to work in the federal tailor shops and make the clothes for the army till the end of this great world war. he is already employed there. The reason of his employment, as he said, is this: He is a tailor and had a good job in one tailor shops in the city of Chicago. Being a citizen of this country and fearing to be called into the active army, he determined to quit his job here and get a such position which would assure his life. Although in our league are many such members, whom threatens the conscription law, but none of them was looking for such "safe" position as the Comrade Mankus did, and he did it one month before the registration. We, the few members of our league, say that Comrade Mankus had violated the principles of the Y. P. S. L. and of the Socialist Party for both in their adopted anti-war resolutions say: nothing for the capitalists class and no any support for this or any war, but for the workers class all we have. 605 Relying on, we want to exempt above named Comrade from our league, but majority are opposed to it and say that it is not any kind of violation of the Socialist Party principles and such exemption would be illegal. Therefore, dear Comrade, I kindly ask to help us to solve above named problem in the right way for what I shall be very much thankful to you. Make a letter explaining what we should do with Comrade Mankus and give it together with Y P S L constitution and address of secretary of the city central committee, and this my letter also, to this my comrade, who will pay for the constitution and bring all informations to me Fraternaly A DUCLIS A member of the Lithuanian Y. P. S. L. JACOB SLIEUS 3429-S. Union Ave. I have substituted your name for that of Comrade Nelson as secretary of the Cincinnati league and wish you much success in your new capacity. There is very little advice that can be given to the conscientious objector except that he will have to obey the law, state his objections, and take whatever penalty is fixed upon him. If your name is drawn, you will be called upon to appear before the Exemption Board to state your claim for exemption. It you have dependents that are within the rule let down by the war department, you will be exempted anyway. If they decide not to exempt you, you should state that as a socialist you are conscientiously opposed to war and that you will not fight or aid in carrying on blood shed in any form. I expect to prepare an article for publication stating forthwith my views on the subject and this may be of some assistance to you when it appears. With best wishes, I remain, 607 This is to notify you that last night I was elected Corresponding Secretary of the Cincinnati local of the YPSL to succeed Miss Wanda Nelson, and you would avoid delay by addressing all communications for the YPSL's to me. In this connection wish to state that although I am a YPSL only four months, and a member of the local Socialist party but two months, have become quite an enthusiastic member, and being of the drafting age, and having regis 608 tered, claiming exemption on the grounds of being a "conscious Objector" and having dependants, would ask what you would advise me to do if I am drafted. Hoping to hear from you at an early date, I beg to remain, I cannot imagine what could have given you the idea that I had anything to do with anything like the Spargo-Benson attitude. Let me assure you that as long as there is a breath left in this body it will be used in the fight against war and the master class. What you offered with regard to the American Socialist has already been done by the Chicago Yipsels. I am gaving them send you a bundle of papers all ready labelled with the names of all the Hartford subscribers and shall look to you to distribute them. I have no double but that you will take care that it is done. The Yipsels are fulfilling their historic mission-when conditions arise that require to be set with the fire and enthusiasm of youth, you may be sure that we will not be found wanting. The league at Terre Haute, Ind., ran a July 4th picnic, and I was the principal speaker. Did I make a speech? Well, I should say so, more than 200 people 610 wanted to shake hands when I got thru. (Don't you worry about me, lad. I'm always on the firing line. Neither have I any doubt about you and your comrades being there to stay. |