New York Times
ADVOCATES OF PEACE IN NEW
PROPAGANDA
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"People's Council" Formed to Carry On Work of Socialist Peace Terms Conference
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Familiar Names on List
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Hillquit, Lee, and Other Anti-Militarists Spreading Doctrine Through the Country
The People's Council of America, with offices at 2 West Thirteenth Street, including among its members peace advocates, anti-militarists, advocates of the repeal of the selective draft law, single taxers, and persons of various other beliefs, is raising a fund of $50,000 to spread the work of the council throughout the nation. The movement is said to be a continuation of the peace activities of the Socialist Peace Terms Conference held in New York a short time ago.
The notice sent out yesterday says that the propaganda is in charge of a committee among the members of which are Morris Hillquit and Algernon Lee, who were refused passports by the State Department to attend the Stockholm conference; James Maurer, the Pennsylvania labor leader; the Rev. Norman Thomas, Joseph Schlossberg, Benjamin Schlesinger, Max Eastman, the Rev. Dr. Judah L. Magnes, Joseph D. Cannon, Gilbert E. Roe, Winter Russell, Charles Kruse, Richard W. Hogue, Mrs. Emily G. Balch, James J. Bagley, Crystal Eastman, Fola La Follette, a daughter of the Senator from Wisconsin; P. Geleibter, Jacob Panken, A. W. Ricker, the Rev. Howard Melish, Mary War Dennett, Daniel Kiefer, James O'Neal, Professor Henry W. Longfellow Dana of Columbia University, and Mrs. Herbert Parsons. Dr. David Starr Jordan of Stanford University is named as treasurer of the organization.
The building at 2 West Thirteenth Street, which is given as the headquarters of the council, is the Educational Building. The building was closed when a reporter went there last night to seek additional information concerning the activities of the organization. At the home of Mrs. Parsons it was said that she was out of town, and it was therefore impossible to ascertain whether she had authorized the use of her name as a member of the Organizing Committee. Mrs. Parsons is a daughter of Henry Clews, the banker.
The document made public yesterday by the council says that "while scores of people were bringing their contributions to the organizational fund of the People's Council of America, news came from all parts of the United States that the forces for peace and democracy were rallying to the new movement."
"The Organizing Committee of the Council," the notice adds, "is raising a fund of $50,000 to spread the work of the council throughout the United States. Every forward looking element devoted to the cause of peace, democracy, or the improvement of labor or general social conditions is to be enlisted. Most of them are already represented in one way or other. Local and national bodies will be invited to send delegates to the council, which will be formed Aug. 4. The delegates, acting under instruction from their organizations, will determine the policy and conduct of the council. The council will be the one body that will give voice to the common desire of all these movements.
"New York City is fairly alive with the propaganda of co-operation through the People's Council. An east side local council has been formed under the direction of A. R. Gold, and this in itself probably will have numerous branches. Anther is being formed in the Bronx, with Benjamin Gitlow directing organizer. The Italians of Brooklyn are forming a local council, which will be the inspirational leader of the council movement which will take in every Italian colony in America."
That this organization is the beginning of a countrywide propaganda in favor of peace, is the opinion of persons who are in touch with the anti-war activities in this country. The agitation in the South will be in charge of Professor L. M. Keasbey of the University of Texas, and the Rev. L. Gordon, while Job Harriman, the Socialist lawyer, will be in charge of the Pacific Coast.
At the recent Peace Terms Conference in this city Victor L. Berger, the Socialist ex-Congressman from Milwaukee, was one of the prominent speakers. It was at the mass meeting held under the auspices of the conference that Louis Kramer and Morris Becker, the convicted anarchists who are now in the Federal Penitentiary at Atlanta, were arrested for circulating literature urging men to violate the military laws of the United States. Although Emma Goldman did not appear as a member of that conference, she told a TIMES reporter, with whom she talked while the conference was in session, that she approved of the program.
