Socialists and the War.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15918, 4 June 1917, Page 6

Socialists and the War.

11 is not at all cavy to understand how the Socialist Congress at Stockholm is going to help towards a satisfactory termination of tho war. Even the object of the Congress is not clear, unless it be to present Socialism to tho world as an international force representing an increasing desire amongst the belligerent nations for tlie opening of peace negotiations. Not without some good reason the Frencji Socialists, when the invitation to send delegates was first issued, refused to consider the matter, holding that tli© Congress had a German and Austrian inspiration, and was working for the ending of the ■war —necessarily in Germany's favour — through the arrangement of a separate peace for France. Troelstra, the Dutch Socialist leader, who is tho chairman of tho executive committeo of tho International Socialist Bureau, warmly repudiated tho Frenchmen's suggestions. The Congress, ho declared, was arranged on a neutral basis, and strongly demanded by Americans, Danes, Norwegians, and others. In France, however, tho best opinion— that of tho French Govornment —i s opposed to any French representation at tho Congress, M. Ribot is reported to-day as having announced that tho Government has prohibited the d~par- ! ture of delegates to the gathering. On the other hand, there aro Socialists in Franco who feel that, unless they attend, the Congress may throw Russia into ; Gcimanv's arms. They hopo that they may be able so to influence tho German Socialists as to strengthen the forccs which are supposed to threaten a revolution in Germany. Few sensiblo people placc much reliance on Gorman. Socialism as a danger to Prussian militarism and German unity in the war. It was ! obvionsly not in the interests of Sociall ism, but of German victory, that the ! revolution in Russian was immediately : adopted as tho occasion for a visit* by ! an important Socialist delegation to Copenhagen to meet Russian Socialists. Tho German Socialists lest no tirao in making an attempt to win tho sympathies of tho Russian revolutionaries, purely in order to facilitate a R-usso-German peace. Tho Socialists have ! supported the German Government ( throughout the war. and this is not ' surprising. Amongst them there aro men -who would not bo creatlv distress-

Ed if Germany wore defeated, just- as there are Socialists in tli e British Empire who would rather'like to see Germany triumphant. But the German Socialist is usually a German bofore he is a Socialist. There is certainly stirring in. Germany a strong movement for more democratic institutions, and this movement finds loud and shrill expression in the Reichstag. But those demonstrations must not bo taken too seriously. At the end of March tho Social Democrats voted agninst the Emergency Estimate?, and much was made of this fact outride Germany, But, a s "Vorwiirts" explained, the Germans wero meroly following their traditional practice of opposing tho hstimates, and thov have throughout the war voted for the war credits. If too much attention is being paid to tho German Socialists, it is because tho Socialists havo succeeded in making people bilieve that Socialism is a real inte:national force. Of course International Socialism is a forcc of no magnitude whatever. Very fow people aro capable of the self-denationalisation that is necessary in tho "international Socialist.'' Yet the Congress at Stockholm is not without its dangers, from the viewpoint of tho Entente. French, British, and American Socialism rs sturdily anti-German, keen on winning the war, and firmly opposed to a premature peace. But Russia's condition is not such as to enable one to contemp'ate with equanimity the exposure of the Russian Socialist leaders to the wile s of the Germans.