for guidance from without would he find his salvation in the font which springs from within. As the speaker left the platform the audience in a tempest of acclaim signified its unqualified accord with the spirit which whisks shams to the winds. The atmosphere of the Auditorium, ordinarily staid, of a sudden became transformed with the feeling and color which effervesce spontaneously wherever Life quickens. There was no mistaking the attitude of even those who had come to sneer. They plainly had remained to cheer. As Miss Goldman made her way past the throng, the friend who walked with her could not help thinking: What if it did take twenty-five years? It was worth it. THE PLATTSBURG CAMP-A NEW TRICK By ABRAHAM FEILER "P atriotism! Devotion! Loyalty!" Such are the cries at present pervading the air. In a wild frenzy of enthusiastic vociferations, and demagogic approval, all join in multifarious expressions of love and faithfulness for our glorious country, "the land of the free and the home of the brave." A big husky American with large teeth, a long tongue, and a limited. brain capacity begins a howl for preparedness and selfdefence. Numerous progressive disciples, and a good many other men not overburdened with intellect, fearing to be called radicals and "mollycoddles" for their opposition to war for honor's sake, follow in the trail of the African hunter like a monkey after the organ grinder, and there is a complete transformation from the stout opponent and severe critic of war, to the meek, effeminate creature crying for "national honor" even at the expense of war. Our well-paid officials at Washington like the situation, in the expectation of some good being derived from it. As a result of these shouts and cries, a number of business men and other high-salaried people have started a military camp for the purpose of military training; but that is not the only reason. By this means an example is set to our unpatriotic of self-denial for the sake of our country. Needless to say this is only the alleged reason and very superficial-there is a far more con vincing cause evident, however, to those who have a keener power of insight than the ordinary. The hypocritical natures of these highest classes of our American society permit them even such a barefaced lie. Doing nothing the whole year round but sitting in his easy chair, giving a little charity one minute and starving the hopeless in another, pitying the poor wretched people today and directing his foreman to crush them. to-morrow, sending contributions for the war victims on the one hand, and sending millions of dollars' worth of ammunition and cash to the belligerent nations on the other, sending arbitrators to settle a strike one day, and hiring guards and cannon to shoot them another-such is, of course, admissibly hard work; on the whole spending his time the whole year "feeding on chicken and studying logic and counting his profits' -it is indeed necessary after so much hard labor to take a little rest and recreation. Such is their reason for going to the army; primarily they did not even dare to pretend some other motive, but eventually something has resulted which will even act as a greater inducement for them to continue their martial recreations. Whether directly planned or not this has nevertheless been effected, judging by the fact that it will be extremely destructive in its future influence on the poor. The capitalist realizes that an army is necessary; having a good deal of property it is quite natural that he should wish to protect it. But since the worker has nothing to protect save himself, a thing more easily lost in the army than kept, he is sufficiently clever to know that the army is not the proper place for him and would therefore not join it. Secondly he does not need any exercise. Working and perspiring continually at the sledge, pick, or even machine for a miserable existence, is exercise enough for most laborers. The many temptations and attractions of the army vanish quickly. But "business is business" in capitalistic terms, and the army must be gotten by hook or crook. Furthermore that army is to consist not of their own sons or other relatives, but purely of different people; so a new means. is devised in the form of the military camp. The military camp is nothing but a clever trick of enticing the prole tarean population into the game of war under the dissimulating pretense of self-defence and of upholding of our national dignity. The mere fact that so many rich men enlist for voluntary service in the army is more than enough to make the average laborer do the same unsuspectingly. Especially is this so when the excuse is "patriotism" and other subtle, diplomatic, but likewise meaningless phrases. The capitalist is made fully aware of this condition; he takes advantage of it. If the rich man enlists, the poor man, being unable to imitate him in nothing else has at least the satisfaction of being able to imitate in this. That is precisely what intentionally or unintentionally has been accomplished. Once enlisted the laboring population is forced to go to fight in case war and for whom? For "his" country, a word now easily interpreted as mills, mines and factories,-a place to lay down your health and subsequently your life,—all capitalist property. He has plenty of stuff to protect and many men to do it for nothing. Poor, blind, creatures who will again fall into a trap set for them by the Rockefellers, Morgans, and similar magnates. And yet trusting blindly to popular sentiment and mob enthusiasm, the workers will again be the sufferers and sufferers in the most miserable manner. Once enlisted, all is over! Of course it cannot be expected that people like Mayor Mitchell or other rich members of the camp would be taken away to serve in time of war. Oh no! Such people are only used to set an example for others but not to do anything themselves after the example has been followed. Or as Tolstoy once said about the average reformer, "Do what I say, and not what I do!" That dire consequences have already been produced by this scheme is evidenced by the fact of a certain member of the camp, —a president of a western trust company,announcing that in the future he will give a paid vacation of two months to his employees, each summer, for the purpose of military enrollment. He has even intimated that some degree of force will be used to induce them to enroll. It may well be expected furthermore that the clerk will undoubtedly do as requested for fear of losing his position. A CHINESE REVOLUTIONIST (The following sketch of Sifo is by H. E. Shaw, translated from the Esperanto Journal "The Voice of the People.") ex Sifo was born in the year 1884, in the city of Hangsang, province of Canton, China. During infancy he was an traordinary and talented boy, and at the age of 15 he became "Sin-Can" (premier graduate of the college); but not wishing to be submissive to that slavish institution he left and taught himself the different practical sciences, and read most of the best books on those subjects, into which he delved most profoundly, this without a tutor. In 1901, when he was 18 years of age, he concerned himself about the miserable condition of the people and the putrid state of the Chinese Government; he organised public speaking and incited political revolution with excellent results. Then he went to Japan. Sun Yat Sen, having been defeated in his revolutionary agitation in Hue Guo, also went to Japan, to recruit rebels for what he called his "Ton Men Hue" propaganda (political revolt). Sifo helped him. Not long afterwards, returning to China, Sifo edited a progressive gazette in Hong Kong, and opened a school for women. In 1907 the revolutionaries revived the agitation again. Lee Tsen, a Mandarin, who ruled for a long time in the Canton province, strenuously opposed them, as before, and Sifo came to the conclusion that before anything else they must fight the devil. One morning when Sifo was waiting on the road with a bomb for Lee Tsen, the weapon exploded prematurely, with the result that he was wounded in the head, breasts and limbs. The police arrested him in an unconscious condition, and took him to the hospital; he recovered after having been there about a month, but his injuries necessitated amputating his left arm. He was then arrested and tried in the usual capitalist court, and sent to jail "on suspicion of wanting to kill someone.' Sifo defended himself. While in jail, a veritable hell, he worked on a project about "Prison Reform"; and the mayor of the town, on reading the little work, was so astounded at the talent displayed by Sifo that he was instrumental in securing his release. Sifo had been in jail three years. He also wrote there a book on "The Dialect of Canton," which even famous linguists do not fail to admire. (This was probably written in Esperanto-Sifo was a keen Esperantist.) On coming out of prison he went to Hong Kong, and with some comrades started an Assassination Group. In the year 1911 a member of the group threw a bomb at Lee Tsen, the Mandarin tyrant, and he (Tsen) wished to kill a Manchu prince who was the pretender to the Manchurian throne. Halting in Shangai, when the Emperor abdicated, Sifo saw a good chance for propaganda, and took advantage of the opportunity. He returned to Canton and founded the "Fui-Min" (cock-crow in the dark!) Chinese Anarchist students in Paris published in 1907 a paper in the Chinese language, called the "New Times"; in it were different translations concerning the Idea, or the move ment, from the world's leading Anarchists-Bakunim, Kropotkin, etc. But to import it into China was not an easy matter; however, the "Tui Min" managed to get some of the best articles from the "New Times" and printed them in leaflet form and distributed them broadcast throughout China; the first sowing of Anarchism in China. In 1912 Sifo founded the Esperanto Group and soon became the vice-delegate of the U. E. A. (Universal Esperanto Association). In the summer of 1913, when the domestic war occurred in China, he saw with his own eyes the crimes committed by the soldiers, and on that account he strongly attacked militarism in the articles which were written in Chinese and Esperanto in the "Voice of the People;" through these articles the new-born "Voice" was suppressed, and Sifo had to flee to Macao, Portuguese territory, where he tried again to publish the paper, but the authorities there prevented it. So, after a half-a-year, passing a very trying time, "The Voice" reappeared, and is still in existence. On returning to Shangai, in July of the following year, he founded the Anarchist-Communist group in that city, and by its influence caused all the country rebels to form similar groups. Sifo was courageous, tolerant, decisive and diligent. He published the "Voice" gratis, and with but few to help him; also he was editor, administrator and printer, and never let up on his task. In addition he was always in poor health, and when every number of the "Voice" appeared, he was, without exception, very ill. When he somewhat recovered he would labour again, as before, and it was really his hard toil that consumed his young life. When he took ill for the last time, his poverty would not permit of his getting a doctor. It was suggested that the printing press be sold to get funds for this purpose, but be would not hear of this, on the grounds that the "Voice" was practically the only "live wire" in the Orient, and that it would be futile to sell the machine to save one person! Later on, by the help of friends, he was placed in the hospital, but alas, too late-the disease, consumption, had gripped him too tightly, and after being in the institution only a short time, Sifo died on the 27th day of March, 1915, at the age of 31. CAPLAN-SCHMIDT DEFENCE FUND Per ALEXANDER BERKMAN Previous Total (as per report September M. E.).. PITTSBURGH, PA. Mass meeting, August 22d. Mass meeting. East Pittsburgh. Dr. D. Jackson, $5.00; Dr. D. Shaw, XYZ, Ben Amsman, M. DETROIT, MICH. A. B. Mass meeting collection. $510.98 10.00 1.90 3.15 25.00 50.00 .25 44.10 |