SOCIALISTS AND THE WAR

Maoriland Worker, Volume 10, Issue 447, 1 October 1919, Page 6

SOCIALISTS AND THE WAR

J accept -Mr. Lmilio Cremkr'.s correction re D' Annuuaio as I have no proof to the contrary. His name has been so often mentioned in various literary periodicals of an advanced type, ;". tlu" .arno time as that oi Anauolc France, that not unnaturally I concluded that he was a Socialist the same. Not one of the otQer names can be challenged. Of course, if every Socialist or Labor man wh o was opposed to the militarism of Germany ruling the continent of J.urope and if the colonies are "rats" then,*ef course Dissolati,Hyndman, Jack Xomlon, Vaudervelde, the British Parliamentary Labor Paity, the French Parliamentary Socialist Party and membens of the Italian Socialist Parliamentary Party are all "rats." I know my erstwhile fellow clubman Enrico Malatesta was opposed to intervention, but he is an Anarchist and was opposed to the propaganda of indus" trial Unionism because it looked to "ina_s" action. It is six aud a half years since .1 have received' any Italian paper; either Avanti, L' Internazionale, 11 Prolitario, ir La Tribuna dei Ferroviari and so ■uy news of Italy has had to be througa American, English, French and S-.viss sources. 1 challenge Mi-. Cremier to publish a list] of Socialist and lie publican, members of Parliament who were ■elected. is Socialists and Republicans, who supported the intervention of Italy en behalf of the Allies against Germany, and a list of those who did not! Further, if the Socialists who supported the war against Germany, co-operated in this matter with the capitalists are therefcre "rats," what are Malatesta and the Anarchists and Syndicalists who were against intervention by Italy and they sided with tho reactionary politician GiolottiP If I.od Boss and -T. '.Robertson can discuss a difference of opinion en the land policy without being termed "rats" and enquiries as to "what is tinear game" cannot tho supporters of the C.O.s do the .amo? I contend firstly, that Socialists who supported the war bail as much rigihit to their opinion, and on better grounds, than those who did not! Secondly, that the support of the C.O.s is not a fundamental part of the programme to Labor's emancipation any more than Prohibition, or Protestant politicol action, and cannot honestly be made a test question of a. man's sincerely iv the movement. /Thirdly, that as N.Z. is such a thinly populated country and the Union movement correspondingly _mall, then the fewer contentious, non-essential matters fhat are dealt with from tho Labor Party platform the better, and that in any case there is room for an honest difference of opinion without the term "rat" or other stupid personal innuendoes being made. According to Mr. Faulkner ai.d Mr. Cremier I may be a "rat." Alright, but unlikei tho Auckland Waterside Workers' Union, I am individually a member of the Labor Party, my Union is affiliated and neither they nor I had supported capitalist candida.es at the recent elections as the Union Mr. Faulkner, belongs to -did. Does this make Mr. Faulkner a "rat"? If either Mr. Faulkner or Mr. Cremier care to debate this question, in front of any section cf workers I am quite prepared to state the ease- for toe Socialists,, reason for fighting Germany.—L. J. B. ALLEN. Auckland, 19th September, 11)1..