The No-Conscription League
(New York Times headlines, May-June 1917, from "The Emma Goldman Papers" (click here to view the full text of the articles) http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Goldman/Writings/Accounts/)
Undaunted by the Espionage and Sedition Acts, Goldman set about organizing a
mass movement to resist the war and the draft in the spring of 1917. As an
anarchist, Goldman was ideologically opposed to coercive conscription. She
believed that if a sufficient number of men did not volunteer themselves for
military service, then the war must be unjust and unworthy of the nation's
energies. She felt that it was a gross violation of natural liberties to force
an individual to give his life for a cause in which he did not necessarily
believe. With these objections at heart, Goldman and her lifelong political
partner Alexander Berkman created the No-Conscription League in New York City.
The declared purpose of this organization was to unify and support all men who
refused to register and refused to fight. Goldman planned to encourage
Americans to resist the draft by giving public speeches, organizing
demonstrations, and publishing anti-war pieces in Mother Earth. Clearly,
Goldman was treading on extremely thin ice. The very existence of the
No-Conscription League was a direct violation of the Espionage and Sedition
acts so recently signed by Wilson. Anticipating that Goldman would inevitably
incriminate herself, government stenographers began attending all of the
League's gatherings. The authorities believed that if they could gather enough
evidence at these functions to indict Red Emma, they may be able to keep her
down for good. As it turned out, their predictions were soon confirmed.
Goldman's anti-war activities unequivocally threatened the U.S. war effort. In
a speech delivered May 18, 1917, Goldman bluntly declared that the U.S. Government was not big enough or strong enough to stop the revolutionary spirit of those who opposed the war. She insisted that if enough resisters banned together against the draft, then the system would collapse and the United States would be quite unable to fight in Europe. So Goldman herself represented a significant obstacle to Wilson's foreign policy. Her efforts countered the incredible tide of patriotism that the Administration had worked so hard to create. If the government did not repress Goldman quickly, then her tactics to undermine the nation's war fever might prove successful. Such an occurrence
would have effectively destroyed the public consent that Wilson needed to proceed in Europe. Goldman certainly had the potential to accomplish such a feat, for her influence in the public sphere was undeniable.
(Emma Goldman speaking passionately in 1917, from "The Emma Goldman Papers" http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Goldman/Images/)
Within two weeks of the No-Conscription League's inception, 8,000 people had
pledged their commitment not to register for the draft. By June 5, 1917 - Army
registration day - thousands of resisters nationwide were actively protesting
the war. In compliance with the Espionage Act, the U.S. Postal Service
attempted to suppress Mother Earth's special June 5 edition , "In
Memoriam: American Democracy." Nevertheless, some 20,000 copies of the
publication were circulated. Throughout the nation on registration day, riots
erupted and government troops broke up demonstrations. The seeds of discontent
were spreading rapidly.
(New York Times headline, June 1917, from "The Emma Goldman Papers" (click here to view the full text of the article) http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Goldman/Writings/Accounts/NYT6517.html)
The opinion was growing that Goldman must be removed from the public eye in the interest of national security. The Military Intelligence Division of the Justice Department advised Wilson to arrest and confine Goldman for the duration of the war. Clearly, the authorities feared Goldman's growing power to disrupt foreign policy. The Wilson Administration was compelled to act quickly against Red Emma, lest she succeed in fatally altering the tide of public opinion.