The day of the lecture I got this note from the Socialist student:  “Yale Union and many of the faculty are sweating under the collar for fear London might say something Socialistic.  The Union realizes that it would be absolutely useless to ask him to smooth over his lecture and cut out anything which sounds radical.  Also they have decided that it would be a shock to the university and the public to have you appear upon the platform in any way, shape or manner.  They are going to ask you to cancel your engagement to introduce London.  In this I think they are unwise, but as they are determined it must be so.  I advise you to agree to whatever arrangement they suggest.  This done, they will ‘take the chances’ that London will express Socialistic ideas.  Now I fear there will be the devil to pay for the lecture—­the university is going to be surprised, the faculty shocked beyond measure and the Yale Union severely criticized!”

This is how the president of the Union expressed the situation in a note to me on the day of the lecture.  “At a meeting of the executive committee of the Yale Union it was voted that the president of the Union introduce the speaker of the evening as it would tend to identify the Union more conspicuously and also to give it prominence before the student body.  For this reason—­wholly beyond my power and opposed to my opinion—­I shall be forced to forego our little plan which I thought by far the best,” etc., etc.

Some small portion of prosperity having come our way I was able to dine a small group with Jack London as the chief guest.  Professor Charles Foster Kent of Yale, and Charles W. De Forrest, a business man, were among the guests.

It was a Socialist innings at Woolsey Hall that night.  The big crowd gave the Yale Union an idea—­this time it was a financial idea—­twenty-eight hundred people paid admission—­the officers swept down on the box office; but there was a Socialist inside playing capitalist.  Socialists are not familiar enough with the game to play it successfully, but in this instance we played in strict accordance with the rules.  We furnished the capital, took the risks and bagged the pot!  We conceded nine points out of ten—­the tenth was a financial one.  The audience represented every phase of life in the city.  Over a hundred of the faculty and ten times as many students.  Citizens of all classes were there.

The Harvard Students had played horse with London a few weeks before this and we—­the Socialists—­were prepared for any sort of demonstration.

“The spectacle of an avowed Socialist,” said the New Haven Register, “one of the most conspicious in the country, standing upon the platform of Woolsey Hall and boldly advocating the doctrines of revolution was a sight for gods and men.”

Jack London talked for over two hours to that packed hall and received a most unusual attention.  After the lecture he was taken to a students’ dormitory where he answered questions till midnight.  Then he was escorted by a smaller group to Mory’s for supper and at one o’clock we held a reception at the big house which was known as “the Socialist Parsonage.”