J. Louis Engdahl reports on the founding convention of the Scandinavian Socialist Federation in Chicago, 1910.

‘Swedes, Norwegians and Danes Gather’ by J. Louis Engdahl from the Chicago Daily Socialist. Vol 4 No. 215. July 6, 1910.

Under Five Flags.

Under five flags, the three national banners of their mother countries entwined with the stars and stripes of their adopted land and the red flag of International Socialism, the delegates representing the Socialist Scandinavians of the United States have held their first national congress and formed a national organization.

The congress was marked by long and business like sessions at the, hall of the Danish Brotherhood Hall No. 17, at 2723 Hirsch street, where they youthful organization was put under way under auspicious circumstances.

Work Began Saturday

The work that began Saturday afternoon was completed Monday night, the first public declaration of the existence organization being of this national made by W.F. Holm, in the midst of inspiring cheers at the picnic of the Scandinavian Socialist Singing Society at Pulaski Grove, Cragin, Ill.

“This congress has shown that the three nationalities making up the Scandinavian peoples can be organized into one body,” said Charles Sand, prominent Scandinavian Socialist of Chicago, and the applause of Swedes, Norwegians and Danes alike, testified to the truth of the statement.

Who Organizers Are

The delegates who helped to organize the national organization of the Scandinavian Socialists of the United States were as follows:

New Jersey, Kearney, Branch Kearney No. 2, S., Christian Larson.

Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Dansk Socialeistforening, Wilhelm Rasmussen: Kenosha, Dansk Socialistforening, Martin Petersen and J. Rils; Racine, Dansk Socialistforening, P. Nielsen.

Minnesota, Duluth, Skandinavisk Socialistklub, Rudolph Ronge; Minneapolis, Skandinavisk Socialistforeningen, Wilhelm Petersen.

Illinois, Evanston, Skandinavisk Socialistklub “Norden,” Jahn Nordlund and Wm. Olson; Rockford, Svenska Socialistklubben, K.A. Ihlsberg, Oskar Nesvant and R.W. Ekstrom; Rockford, Skandinavisk Socialistklubben, Fram,” P. Haugen. Chicago 12th Ward Skandinaviske Branch, Emil Jamquist: 17th ward Skandinaviske Branch, Claus Nicoll and George Olsen; Karl Marx Klubben, A.W. Malmquist and Thorwald Jensen; Lake View Skandinavsk Branch, Karl Bergstrom: Skandinavisk Socialist Sangforening. John S. Hansen: Skand. Social-Demokraters Sygeforening, S.S. 8. af 1895, F. Andersen, N. Hansen-Stenhill, C.F. Withrock and A. Sondergaard: Skandinavisk Socialstisk Agitationskomite, N.F. Holm, Steffen J. Christensen and N. Juel Christensen. Kewanee, Skandinavisk Socialist Forening, N.P. Nelson.

To Take Referendum

The first step to be taken by the new organization will be to send the measures adopted to a referendum vote of the members of the Scandinavian organization of the United States. This is especially true of the constitution which was drawn up and adopted by the congress.

A temporary executive committee has been appointed consisting of Wilhelm, Petersen, of Minneapolis: K.A. Ihlsberg, of Rockford, Ill.; P. Haugen, of Rockford, Ill.; Thorwald Jensen and N. Juel Christensen, of Chicago.

This committee is to serve until January 1, although the new constitution as accepted will go into effect on Nov. 1. Before Jan. 1. 1911, it is expected that the organization will have chosen a national committee, consisting of one member from each state, a national executive committee to consist of five members, and a national secretary-treasurer.

One of the first matters to come before the congress was the matter of the Scandinavian Socialist press. In this matter, the delegates from Rockford, Ill., where the Scandinavian Socialists publish the “Svenska Socialisten,” were to the front in the discussion.

The editor of this paper is J.A. Haldden, a woodworker, who claims that his only qualification as an editor is the fact that he always tries to put the spirit of the Socialist movement into what he writes.

“I told them that I was not an editor.” said Haldden, “but they told me to go right ahead and write what I think, and I did.”

Party to Own Paper

The prospect of having a party-owned paper is being looked forward to by the Scandinavians, the temporary executive committee having been instructed to carry on negotiations with the management of he “Svenska Socialisten”; the “Gaa Eve,” the Danish-Norwegian weekly of Minneapolis, Minn.; and the “Revyn,” a Danish weekly of Chicago. The effort will be to establish a party organ that shall satisfy the needs of all three nationalities.

Resolutions were adopted by the congress asking all the members of the Scandinavian Socialist organizations to join their respective labor unions and carry on a propaganda for Socialism within them.

Urged to Get Papers

It was especially urged that all Scandinavians coming to this country get out their naturalization papers as soon as possible. It was asked that there be a closer affiliation with the Socialist Sick Benefit Society and the Scandinavian Socialist Singing Society.

Emphatic resolutions were adopted protesting against and condemning the action of the Russian Duma for its action in seeking to exterminate the little independence that had been left to Finland, a neighboring country to the three Scandinavian nations. Copies of the resolutions will be forwarded to the Duma, and to the Socialists of Finland

In the matter of propaganda, it has not yet been decided to appoint an organizer, this matter being left to the national executive committee after the referendum on the constitution has been held. Owing to the fact that another congress may be needed in a very short time the time and place of such a gathering was left to the referendum.

Condemn Congress’ Action

The congress went on record as condemning the action taken by the national congress of the Socialist party in Section 6, Article XIX, of the Socialist party constitution, referring to the matter of “Foreign Speaking Organization.”

This section says that “Members of foreign speaking organizations shall have no voice in national referendums or in the election of national officers of the Socialist party, except when they vote as members of a state organization.”

The sentiment of the congress on this matter was that all organizations affiliated with the national Socialist party should have the right of referendum, and that there should be no non-voting membership.

The work among the Scandinavian peoples of the United States made possible by the national organization of the Swedes, Norwegians and Danes is expected to be the death blow to the Socialist Labor party which, at the present time, has its stronghold among the Swedish people of the east.

To Reach Immigrants

“With a national organization of the Scandinavian Socialists we will be able to reach the immigrants arriving in this country from Europe as the national organization of the Socialist party has never been able to do,” said S.J. Christensen, secretary of the Scandinavian Socialist Agitation committee, also a delegate to the congress.

“It is a peculiar fact, but the Swedish immigrant arriving in the United) States in the east has almost always joined the Socialist Labor party,, for no seeming reason whatsoever. There is no reason why they should do this. We want them all to join the Socialist party.”

Make Good Party Workers

This sentiment was echoed by Editor Haldden, of the “Svenska Socialisten,” who said that the Social-Democrats (Socialists) of Sweden, arriving in this country, make the best party workers when the party can get in touch with them.

“Through our national Scandinavian organization we will find out what becomes of all the Swedish Socialists! coming to the United States, get them into our organization and put them to work,” he said.

National Secretary J. Mahlon Barnes. spoke to the congress Monday afternoon, explaining the need of a national organization among the Scandinavians as well as the other, foreign speaking peoples coming to the United States. “We must be in a position to let the foreigners coming to our shores know of the political conditions that exist in our country,” said Barnes, “and one way of reaching him is to have an organization here in his own language.”

The Chicago Socialist, sometimes daily sometimes weekly, was published from 1902 until 1912 as the paper of the Chicago Socialist Party. The roots of the paper lie with Workers Call, published from 1899 as a Socialist Labor Party publication, becoming a voice of the Springfield Social Democratic Party after splitting with De Leon in July, 1901. It became the Chicago Socialist Party paper with the SDP’s adherence and changed its name to the Chicago Socialist in March, 1902. In 1906 it became a daily and published until 1912 by Local Cook County of the Socialist Party and was edited by A.M. Simons if the International Socialist Review. A cornucopia of historical information on the Chicago workers movements lies within its pages.

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