CHAPTER VII

People's Council of America, June, 1917, to April, 1920

As will be recalled, in June 1917 the People's Council of America, "modeled after the Council of Workmen's and Soldiers' Council, the sovereign power of Russia today," was the outgrowth of the First American Conference of Democracy and Terms of Peace. Similarly the Conference was a reorganization of the 1917 Emergency Peace Federation, and the 1917 Emergency Peace Federation an outgrowth of the American Neutral Conference Committee, which in turn was a development of the Ford Peace Party, this a result of the original Lochner-Schwimmer Emergency Peace manoeuvres of 1914. By 1917, the old peace strategy having worn rather thin, and the revolution in Russia having made the sham Pacifists very bold, Lochner and his followers came more and more into the open with their revolutionary Socialism, scantily disguised as peace measures.

When we examine the names of the organizing committee of the People's Council, we find the following:

James J. Bagley, former president of the Central Labor Union, Brooklyn, N. Y.; Emily Greene Balch, College Professor, Economist, author; Joseph D. Cannon, organizer, International Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers' Union, N. Y.; H. W. L. Dana, professor, Columbia University; Eugene V. Debs, former Socialist nominee for President, Terre Haute, Ind.; Mary Ware Dennett, former head of the Woman's Bureau of the Democratic National Commission, New York; Crystal Eastman, Executive Secretary of the American Union Against Militarism; Max Eastman, editor "Masses," New York; Edmund C. Evans, architect, member Single Tax Society, Philadelphia, Pa.; P. Geliebter, Recording Secretary, Workmen's Circle, New York; Edward T. Hartman, secretary, Civic League, Boston, Mass.; Amy Mali Hicks, artist and author, New York; Morris Hillquit, international secretary of Socialist Party and its nominee for Mayor of New York City; Richard Hogue, minister, Baltimore, Md.; Bishop Paul Jones, Episcopal Bishop of Utah, Salt Lake City; Linley M. Keasby, author, economist, former professor of Institutional History, University of Austin, Tex.; Daniel Kiefer, Chairman, Fels Fund Commission, Cincinnati, Ohio; Charles Kruse, president Inter'Page 77, First Amer. Conference for Democracy and Terms of Peace.

national Welfare Brotherhood, St. Louis, Mo.; Algernon Lee, member of executive committee, Socialist Party of the State of New York, Educational Director, Rand School of Social Science; Duncan McDonald, General Organizer of Co-operative League of America, Springfield, Ill.; Rabbi Judah L. Magnes, religious leader, New York; James H. Maurer, member Pennsylvania State Legislature, President, Pennsylvania State Federation of Labor; Rev. Howard Mellish; Pat Nagle, editor, "Tenant Farmer," Kingfisher, Okla.; Scott Nearing, college professor, economist, Toledo, Ohio; James Oneal; Jacob Panken; Elsie Clews Parsons; Max Pine, Secretary, United Hebrew Trades, New York; A. W. Ricker, publisher "Pearson's Magazine,' New York; Winter Russell, lawyer, counsel Bureau of Legal First Aid, New York; Benjamin Schlesinger, president of International Ladies' Garment Workers Union, New York City; Joseph Schlossberg; Rose Schneidermann; Western Starr, farmer and single taxer, Westover, Md.; Frank Stephens, founder Single Tax Colony, Arden, Del.; Sidney Strong, minister, author, Seattle, Wash.; Mrs. William I. Thomas, Secretary Woman's Peace Party of America, Chicago, Ill.; Irwin St. John Tucker, College President, editor, Christian Socialist, Chicago, Ill.; John D. Works, former United States Senator, Los Angeles, Cal.; Lella Faye Secor, organizing secretary, People's Council; Rebecca Shelly, financial secretary, People's Council; Elizabeth Freeman, Legislative; William E. Williams, publicity director, People's Council; Louis Lochner, executive secretary, People's Council and David Starr Jordan, Treasurer. Here we discover (with the exception of the American Union Against Militarism group, conducting their own anti-war agitation under the cloak of the Civil Liberties Bureau) most of the old guard "emergency" pacifists, together with some noteworthy additions. from Socialist and other radical sources.

Besides his strong central committee, Lochner had an invaluable “legislative committee" in the person of his Treasurer, Dr. David Starr Jordan, who at the time was making Washington, D. C., his headquarters. Under date of June 10, 1917, this gentleman, who had already done so much in the cause of "peace' and "internationalism," reported to Lochner as follows:1

"My course in 'university extension for statesmen' goes on nicely. Friday night under the lead of Huddleston, I had numerous members of the House. Monday I have a See illustration of original Jordan letters.

. . I have

Seminar of Senators under Vardaman. never been received with such deference before. But it is also clear that I must not stay around so as to be regarded as a lobbyist. Thus far all this has been received. as a personal favor and the men asked me to visit them. Kitchin has asked that for Monday, and there are numerous others of the same sort. So I think it best to go home in a few days. I am advising:

"1. Not to adjourn at all before December.

"2. If adjourned, not to grant a single blanket authorization to the Administration.

"3. It is the duty and privilege of Congress, not the President, to declare war, to state purpose of war, to make known terms of peace.

"4. To oppose every Prussian authorization.

"Next week (or this) bills will be offered:

"a. Restating meaning of treason under the Constitution.

"b. Reminding that constitutional guarantees were intended to be valid in war time. They were established for that purpose.

"c. Repealing the Conscription Act which is apparently unconstitutional.

"d. Repealing (for the future) the non-tax feature of bonds.

"I doubt if it is wise for me to do any mass-meeting speaking just now. It might, through false reports interfere with my relations with Congress. I can play here best, a lone hand, but I do not forget other

matters.

"Among Congressmen involved in my Courses of Instruction' are Senators La Follette, Norris, Johnson, Borah, Vardaman, Gronna, Smoot, Curtis and New. Representatives *Kitchen, *Huddleston, *Crosser, *Hilliard, *Dill, *Gordon, Little, *Rankin, Randall, Dillon, *Cooper (Wis.), Cooper (W. Va.), Bowers, Crampton, Mondell, *Frear, Woods (Iowa), *Lundeen, *La Follette (an excellent man), *Sisson, *Slayden, Ragsdale, *Mason, London. I hope that Miss Freeman can be here before I leave.

But her work

is different from mine." (The meaning of the starring of names is unexplained.)

These excerpts speak for themselves as to Dr. Jordan's co-operation with Lochner and other revolutionaries during war times. On another page Dr. Jordan continues:

"I have just analyzed the President's unfortunate letter to Russia. It is weak and verbose, not hitting any of the points vital to these people. Why not say (for the United States):

"We have entered the war in the spirit of altruism asking no reward, acting through sympathy with British efforts to redeem Belgium and France. When this is achieved and the seas made the world's safe open highway, we shall hope to lay down our arms. We shall approve of no forced annexations, no forced indemnities and of no exploitation of fruits of victory. We know no guarantees save those involved in the good will of free peoples. We appeal to all nations to grant, through autonomy and federation, relief to repressed nationalities; believing that in conciliation and co-operation, not in unlimited national sovereignty, the future of civilization can be conserved."

Under the date of June 12, 1917, Dr. Jordan again writes Lochner as follows:

Slayden agrees with me that a strong impression, without staying about the lobbies, is to use such force as I have to best advantage.

"This morning I used a syllabus which I send: Twenty were present at my University Extension in the Immigration Committee Room to-day."

There follows a list of the twenty, as well as twenty-two additional names of representatives and senators. Dr. Jordan closes with: "My bill is enclosed. Make returns to me at Carmel-bythe-Sea,"

There is further this interesting postscript, at the top of the first page of the letter: "Keep the People's Council in touch with Miss Rankin."

When we consider that Mr. Slayden was prominent in the

American branch of the Inter-Parliamentary Union1 (the international group of government officials pledged to co-operate in opposing the war policies of each respective government) and that certain members of Jordan's university extension course have since shown an apologetic attitude toward Socialism, it will be seen that Dr. Jordan's co-operation with Lochner was in part effective. As an illustration of this statement, we quote part of a telegram from Senator Gronna published in the first bulletin issued by the People's Council on August 7, 1917:

"The people know that Congress cannot make laws 'abridging the freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.'

Early in June, 1917, Mr. Lochner wrote to a number of California citizens and congressmen, in regard to a People's Council Conference sct for. San Francisco early in July: "to be analogous as far as our American conditions permit, to the Council of Workingmen and Soldiers of Russia and to a similar body just created in England."

In Miss Shelly's revised plan for a People's Council which Lochner was working out, the same note of Russian Socialism was sounded and the following measures planned, along nearSoviet lines:

"The People's Council would be made up of delegates duly elected by any organization which has a thousand bonafide members and subscribers to the fundamental aims of the People's Council, real democracy at home, and an early peace based on the terms already announced by the Russian government. The majority of delegates would come from the forward looking trade union locals, the vigorous Socialist branches, the single taxers, the Granges, Farmers' Co-operative Unions and other farmers' organizations. The Council should represent ideas, territorial sections and voting power. Most of all it should represent the productive working classes which, if welded together, will make their voices effective in the councils of the Nation. . The first session of the People's Council might well begin in the Middle West on July 4. . then to meet in the large cities of different sections of the country; and thereby draw

See Chapter IV of this Section, Lochner's report of his conversation with Dr. North.