CHAPTER IX

People's Freedom Union*

In addition to the particular organizations which have been enumerated in the preceding chapters of this section, there also were a large number of similar organizations with interlocking directorates, both in New York City and scattered throughout the United States. The notable feature of the entire movement which is here treated is the striking activity of many of those participating in it. If the committees representing these numerous organizations be scanned, it will be found that in almost every one the leading spirits are the same. So great is the activity of a number of these agitators that one is inclined to believe that the different organizations serve simply as so many aliases under which this same movement is carried on.

One of the latest organizations to appear, which has begun to spread its propaganda broadcast, is the People's Freedom Union, successor to the People's Council, with offices at 138 West 13th street, New York City. It will be noted that this is the same. premises occupied by the People's Print, the American Civil Liberties Union, and a number of other questionable organizations. The purpose and object of this union is well stated in a mimeographed statement issued from its headquarters. The Committee feels that it is of sufficient interest to reproduce here in full, as follows:

"THE PEOPLES' FREEDOM UNION

"WHAT IT IS AND WHY IT IS

"A New Alignment Necessary In America

"Never has there been so urgent a need as comes with the end of the Great War for just-minded men and women to unite their efforts on behalf of a saner world order. The forces of reaction are more active today than ever. They now work internationally. But a consolidation of strength and a new orientation of the forces working for peace and freedom has become indispensable. In the first place, it is imperative that the forward-looking forces in this country, whose morale has become weakened by discouragement and whose energies dissipated, be reco-ordinated. During the war a number of groups sprang up, devoted to such * See Addend'ım, Part I.

objects as the securing of amnesty for political prisoners, defending and regaining civil rights and liberties abrogated under the hysteria of war, and promoting international understanding and friendship even while the conflict raged. In the beginning each tried to appeal to a different group for support, moral and financial. Gradually, however, each found itself assuming other functions than that originally conceived to be its central purpose. To each phase of this general program went a fraction of the energy of the group, with the result that no single function was carried out in such manner as to achieve relative success. In the same way, each group appealed in the end approximately to the same clientele of progressive citizens for financial and moral support.

"With Europe

Equally important with the revitalizing of the American movement is the resumption of intercourse between ourselves and the liberal forces of the various countries, made possible by the lifting, to a degree at least, of international censorship. Each foreign mail brings us tidings of European groups ready to take up the task of world building in their own country, and eager for news of what is transpiring in America.

"THE PROPORTIONS OF THE PROBLEM

"An intelligent public opinion on world affairs must be stimulated. A first pre-requisite to a saner world order is an enlightened public opinion on international affairs. But do people know what is going on in other lands? Do the majority of our fellow citizens in America, for example, know the facts about Russia or about Hungary, or Ireland, or India, or Egypt, or China, and a dozen other scenes of strife?

"When the Egyptian people rose this year and demanded that Great Britain keep her promise to withdraw her sovereignty, Lloyd George reaffirmed the British 'protectorate,' and President Wilson pledged America to recognize it. Were our people consulted?

"When delegates from Korea wished to leave for Paris to present to the Peace Conference their country's claim to independence from Japan, they were denied passports by our State Department. How many of our people had a voice in these decisions?

"Thus, instance after instance might be mentioned of transactions of the utmost importance, in which the American people have had neither part nor knowledge. At this moment policies are being shaped which may call our young men to kill and be killed in Mexico, in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Everywhere the stage is being set for the next war. Shall that next war be allowed to break? The time to stop it is now, by throwing the light of pitiless publicity upon the machinations of secret diplomacy.

"IMPERIALISM AND MILITARISM MUST BE CRUSHED "Imperialism is not dead, even though the kaiser and other emperors have gone. Any people which rules other people without their consent, whether directly (as in India) or indirectly (through 'protectorates,'' spheres of influence' and the like, as in Persia), is imperialistic.

The

Imperialism has been sharpened by the war. British Empire has been increased a million square miles; France gets Syria; Japan practically gets Shantung; Italy is prepared to fight Jugo-Slavia over Adriatic territory, and Greece over Smyrna, in Asia Minor.

The

"In our own country, American imperialists want us to keep the Philippines and continue the policies which have extended American dominion over Porto Rico, Panama, Haiti, Santo Domingo, Nicaragua and Honduras. annexation of Mexico and Costa Rica may be next. A clash may come with Japan or some other former ally over financial interests in China.

"Shall the liberal and radical forces of the world bestir themselves only when the next war has burst? They must come together and get ready now before the passions of war again sweep them aside.

"MILITARISM IS RAMPANT THROUGHOUT THE WORLD "The war which was to have ended all war leaves the nations more militaristic than ever.

"In our own country Secretary Daniels complains to Congress that its appropriation of $15,000,000 for navy aviation is too small in view of Great Britain's appropriation of ten times that amount for the same purpose. Con

gress is practically committed to a large army and the principle of conscription, the only question now being whether the standing army is to consist of 570.000 men or only 300,000.

"In Europe the same fever is raging. Though Germany has been beaten to the dust, France and Great Britain are less inclined than ever to reduce their armaments. In Japan the politicians are pointing to the military preparations of the Western Powers as a reason for speeding up the martial activities of their own empire.

"OUR CIVIL LIBERTIES MUST BE REDEEMED AND THE VICTIMS OF COERCION FREED

"Democracy without the unrestricted right to discuss public policies is the shabbiest of pretenses. Painful and abundant illustrations exist of the dangers to real democracy at the present hour.

"Legal meetings have been forbidden or broken up; newspapers suppressed and spokesmen for uncongenial opinions deported or imprisoned. For voicing in words a protest against the war, Eugene V. Debs received a jail sentence three times as heavy as that inflicted by an Austrian court upon the men whose protest took the form of assassinating an Austrian premier.

"Even after the signing of the armistice, men have been sent to jail for violating the Espionage Act, a law ostensibly framed to prevent the giving of aid to Germany, but in practice used to jail radical protestants against social injustice. There is no disposition evident to repeal this measure. On the contrary, the Attorney-General of the United States, Congress and the various State legislatures are preparing even more drastic laws to choke off the radical tendencies which they fear to allow men and women to discuss openly and democratically.

"Meantime, reactionary forces further the candidacies of incompetent politicians, on the sole strength of their war records. They silence constructive criticism and defeat needed changes in our social structure by dishonestly identifying the plea for those changes with the agitation' of 'foreigners.''

"THE PEOPLE'S FREEDOM UNION

"WHAT THE PEOPLE'S FREEDOM UNION IS

"The People's Freedom Union, then, is a federation to which several New York groups have committed themselves to the end of a more effective handling than any could attain in its separate strength of the above program. It is the One Big Union idea applied to the peace-and-freedom

movement.

"How IT WILL WORK

"The Peoples' Freedom Union will proceed on the principle of specialization on concrete tasks not already covered by their organizations, each task to be assigned to a committee or group especially qualified to direct the campaign for its accomplishment. It hopes gradually to absorb other groups, and to give them the added strength that comes from union and from the generous infusion of new blood. It will strive constantly to reach out to those millions of fellow citizens who, profiting by the lessons of the Great War, are ready now to join in the effort to build a new and better world. It stands ready, as specific issues necessitate the formation of special and temporary groups, to welcome these as a part of the federation and to extend to them facilities for economizing on clerical help and other overhead expenses.

"How IT IS ADMINISTERED

"The affairs of the Peoples' Freedom Union are administered by an executive committee, by the officers and departmental directors, and by special committees in charge of specific phases of the work. In its headquarters at 138 West 13th street are located the following administrative departments: Organizations, publicity, publications, speakers and finances.

"The department of organization aims to stimulate in other centers the co-ordination of existing forces now being accomplished in New York as well as to promote committees to specialize on activities not already provided for.

"The publicity department transmits all official pronouncements of the union to the press, plans systematic campaigns for popularizing the principles of the union through the daily and weekly press, and keeps the daily,