WORKERS AND WAR.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 207, 30 August 1916, Page 8

WORKERS AND WAR.

(By VICTOR GRAYSON.)

THE DESTINY OF LABOUR.

TL—.THE PRESENT SITUATION. So close was the alliance between the Liberal ■party ajid the tired and exhausted Labour party, that when the suggestion of actual war between Britain, her Allies and Germany was mooted, the Labour party were in a

worse condition (though it may seem impossible) than were the Liberal pacifists. The whole of the Labour party in Britain had been impressed by the oft-uttered proclamation from German comrades that a war between Germany and England's allies—and even a future War between the nations —would depend upon the deliberations of the Internationals. GERMAN! CROCODILE TEARS. At many International Congresses, even unto the most recent, German Socialists have mingled their tears wibV -. the teaTs of divers foreign delegates in the toast of: — "The Parliament of Man: The Federation of the World." Most, if not all, of the Labour party believed these tears to be genuine, and it is possible that they were. In any event, the great majority of the Labour party buried -the hatchet of class war, and instructed their followers to "shoulder the irons." A few stood out, and a little description of the few maypalliate the crime of their pacifism. I have mentioned in a previous article certain characteristicsgof Mr MaeDonald and Mr. Snowden. They are not really against .the prosecution of the present war; they are merely idealists who iiold the juvenile view that war is impossible. The fact than we were already in wax, and defending our own existence against a carefully conceived plan to Wow us out of existence, could not disturb the pacifist admiration which drew so much applause from tearful audi ences:— "The Parliament of Man: The Federation of the World." There is scarcely any doubt that some of iiie pacifists were sincere, be cause raanjjr of their ambitions were smashed b$ their attitude towards the war. Needless to say, the British Labour party had been cunningly robbed of its vitality before war was declared. 3lr. Fred. Jowett, M.P.. was, and is, the only important person in the Labour party of Great Britain to decide and declare that "secret diplomacy" should be abolished!. On this subject he was entertained as a genial crank. Jowett. is what the ultra-revolutionists in England consider to be a "mild Socialist."' As a matter of fact he is, perhaps, the best informed Labour leader in Democracy's general staff. Jowett may be a crank, but he insisted, and insisted insistently, that the diplomatic relationships between Britain and other countries should be explicitly exposed to members of Parliament. I "have said that Jowett is an intelligent and informed personality, and that distinguishes him from the other thirty-nine of the Labour party. - The clever men were trying to combat the efforts of the Government to.destroy them; and their efforts naye produced a situation, that the late Sir

W. S. Gilbert would have revelled in With the exception of Snowden and Mac Donald (in person) the whole of Britain's Labour movement decided to follow the flag. The tardy "standbacks" were so negligible that the Secretary oi State for War did not mh* them. They are good feUows all, but are so shell-backed that the movement of the cerebrum is impeded. One need scarcely say that fne -Labour party in Great Britain exists, at present, in a state of suspended animation. Arthur Henderson was unwisely—in my opinion —made Minister of Education. That gave him entree to the Cabinet, and he became private adviser and constant assistant to Air. Lloyd George. Arfirur - Henderson is not a great nor even a brilliant man. He is stiff, stolid, wise well-informed, and completely poor in j the matter of Gallic salt. But his eleI vation to Ministerial rank was the Gov- | ernment's recognition of the patriotism of organised Labour. THE PRESENT BRITISH LABOUR PARTY. The pre-war activities of certain members of the Government, aided toy ! the lamb-like acquiescence of the Labour j party, had already smashed into eternal "smithereens" the carefully-built edifice of Labour's organisation in Great Britain. When the war burst upon a partially astonished universe, the Labour party of Britain was already safely in the hands of the Liberal Gov- ■ ernment. At present, there J3 no Labour party in Great Britain. The Labour party has ceased to exist. Its ablest members (excluding the unfit) have already felt the smoke and smother of war. - When the fumes of this gigantic struggle between two civilisations have cleared—perhaps a Labour ■party, or any party, will be superfluous. In a subsequent article I shall endeavour to cast the horoscope of British Labour's future. Being something of a minor prophet, I oelieve that "Armageddon" will have made havoc of our artificial boundaries, and that the federation of the world will he much more than a platform tag. (The third and concluding article will be published in our issue of Saturday next, September 2.) The authorities at Wellington have just formulated a scheme for releasing a proportion of the field artillery Eec- | tion of the Royal New Zealand Artillery for enlistment in the Expeditionary Force. A number of officers, N.C.O.'s, and men enlisted with the field, artillery of the Main Force, but with few exceptions the remainder have "been kept until the present for home service. The new arrangement provides that men shall be Tecruited to fill the places of those who leave, and for the period of their absence only. Recruits may be drawn from (a) Men unfit for active service, but at present doing duty in training camps; (b) men who offer their services for the Expeditionary Force, but are passed as unfit for active service and fit for home service; (c) returned soldiers unfit for active service and fit for home service. Recruits will be asked for in the various military district's in about a week's time. "Tired in the morning." Try a little Wolfe's Schnapps—the best of all , tonics.—(Ad.) Babiea, young children- and invalids ■ who suffer from stomach troubles will» ; find, Relief in Sharland% Fluid Magnesia. "1 One shilling" per bottle.—(Ad.)