The Dominion.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2553, 30 August 1915, Page 4

The Dominion.

MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 1915. DISCORD IN GERMANY ' ' -' It is only natural that the German newspapers should extract as much' comfort as they can from the revival of the trouble in the Welsh coal industry. At the beginning of the war the Germans hoped that disruptive forces would be set in motion which would sorely hamper the British Empire from the fighting point of view. Thev predicted that India would rebel; that there would be civil war in Ireland;*, that the Dominions would either stand aloof or declare their independence. But all these prophecies have been falsified, and the Empire' stands tb-day as solid <is a rock. The strain and stress of the~struggle has welded it together as nothing else could have clone; Still, the_ fact cannot be ignored that Britain lias not had that freedom from internal strife which a nation has a right to expect at' a time when all that it holds dear is threatened with 'destruction. The Welsh strike is utterly deplorable, and it is not surprising' that our enemies arc rejoicing over it. It is stated that some newspapers interpret it as "the first- sign of England's weariness of the war." Of course, that is so much nonsense, but these industrial disputes no doubt encourage the belief among the German populace that we are beginning to long for peace, By making much of such matters as the Welsh strikes, the German Press is probably endeavouring to distract public attention from the growth of discord at nome. There are many indications that the unity of Germany is not nearly as completer's it appears to be. It is now showing cracks and flaws, which are all the more significant in view of the iron discipline whicn militates against freedom of action and the expression of opinions not favoured by tho Government. Not long ago we read of a serious strike of the workers at Krupps. The authorities seem to have overcome this difficulty, at any rate for a time, but there are other devisive forces at work which must be giving tho Kaiser and his advisers much cause for uneasiness. The German Socialists are growing war weary, and their desire for peace is being expressed with increasing frequency and emphasis. There is acute disagreement among the rank and file of the party regarding the support which the Parliamentary group is giving to' the Government's war_ policy. The peaco section recently em-, bodied its views in an Open Letter which was signed by no less than seven hundred 'Social Democratic leaders (including 15 Deputies and 26 editors), who express their disap- ■ proval in an imprcssivcly ; manner. Despite military prohibition and confiscation, this Open Letter was circulated by the thousand throughout Germany. In proof of the contention that the situation demands that immediate . action be taken, tho letter states; Dttring the last few liowrs the King and tho Grown Prince of Bavaria have come out quite openly as advocates of a policy of conquest. Nobody who now hesitates can claim in t'lio future.to l>o ignorant as to trtie designs of the ruling classes. The facts of the situation are quite plain, the last of tile mists wliieh hid tho reality from our eyes lias been dispersed. The alternative is simple: Is tTie party to bo .saved or destroyed ? We warn our leaders against a continuance of the policy of August i and May 29. Wo know we give expression to tho opinion of a great proportion of the party and of broad masses of the population when'we demand tihat the Parliamentary Party Executive should, even at this late 'hour, stop tlio destruction of the party, repudiate the political truce, reenter fully upon the.struggle to secure the triumph of the principles and programme of tho party as laid down in its resolutions anil commence a-campaign for' peace. If our appeal is not responded to, iXio responsibility for all that follows will rest on those who have driven tlio party to the edge of tlio precipice, and who, by not heeding our" will liavo refused to withdraw it from its perilous positiou. German Ministers have done their utmost to make neutrals believe that Germany-is waging a- defensive war —that the Allies deliberately forced her to fight in order to preserve her national existence. But such palimbls falsehoods ' JMithkeslv hrUshftd aside in the Open Letter,

of the German Socialists. They declare that it has become clearer and clearcv every day that the war is not being oarriexl on* in dcfence ol Germany's national integrity, _ and ifc has become more and more evident that its purpose is Imperialistic'conquests. Attention is drawn to the fact that "the Imperial - Chancellor proclaimed a' war of conquest quite openly at the meeting of the Reichstag on May 2S, the object of which, included the open annexation of Russian and French territory, and the masked annexation of Belgium under the term 'compulsory economic federation.' " The Socialist members of- the Reichstag are urged to sever themselves from thb war policy of the Government, and to take a stand of strong opposition to it. It was impossible for the - Parliamentary Party and tlio Party Executive to ignore the Open Letter. An official reply was published. The main interest of this_document does not consist so much in its attempt to justify the attitude of the Socialist politicians, as in its condemnation of annexation of territory and violation of the rights of other peoples, and its admission that the nation is getting tired of the conflict. The writers declare that the people do not want any annexation ■♦-they want •peace, and they call upon the Government to show their readiness to enter into peace negotiations. What ■the ultimate effect of this agitation will be it is impossible to say. Its immediate effect will probably be to cause the Government' to _ make the struggle fiercer than ever in the desperate hope of gaining soma decisive advantage over the "Allies Jjefore the' anti-war feeling in Germany becomes sufficiently powerful, to undermine the nation's _ belief in the ideal of world dominion in the possibility of its realisation.