EXCITED SOCIALISTS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1851, 28 August 1907, Page 49

EXCITED SOCIALISTS.

LTVELY RBCRIMINATIONtS. ANTI-MILITARIST AGITATOR CREATES SENSATION. WAR AND THE PROLETARIAT. BERLIN, August 20. A violent scene between Herr Rebel (German Socialist leader in tlie Reidhstag) and M. Herve (Frenoli delegate) created a sensation at the Socialist Conference at Stuttgart. M. Herve, who is the leader of the anti-militarist agitation in France, introduced a resolution declaring that the soldiers should desert in the event ">f .revolt or in. case of war. Herr Bebel vehemently opposed +h? jqiotion, declaring that the anti-mili-3^'fcarist propaganda endangered peace, and was being closely watched by German military circles. \ 'M Herve made an impassioned rejoinder. He bitterly taunted the German Democracy, asking what they would do when Prussian bayonets were turned against Russian revolutionists or Frenoli proletarians? He believed they would follow the Kaiser, but the French General Staff knew that war meant revolt of the proletarians: - M. Herve’s ungoverned words created a bad impression, some of the delegates referring to him as a mountebank MM. Vollmar, Jaures, and Saiiiant (French delegates) repudiated M. Herve’s anti-militarist sentiments. ENGLISH TRADES UNIONS. question; OF ADMISSION TO _THE CONFERENCE. BERLIN, August 2i. The Independent Labour representatives at the Stuttgart Conference proposed that trades unions bo entitled to membership of the conference, provided they declared in favour of political action in alliance with the Socialist parties. . Mr J. Ramsay MacDonald, Labour, member of the House of Commons, moved that the matter be referred to ' the International Bureau, in order to arrange for. an amicable settlement with- the English section. - ■ Mr Quelch declared that there could be no objection to the admission of trades unions if they came irrevocably - committed to Socialism. M. Vandervelde, President of the International Bureau, agreed to consider the proposal with the English section. He believed the Bureau would be de lighted to see the great English working organisations represented at the Congress, since that would indicate their adhesion to the principles of Si-

cialism. - LEADERS GATHER FROM MANY X , LANDS. SOME FORMER CONGRESSES. . A cable message of the 19th inst. stated that “nine hundred delegates, representing twenty-five nationalities, attended the opening of the International Socialist ' Congress at Stuttgart.” ... ; . ' if Heinrich Heine, reading the signs of the times” in his day. (when Intersil national Socialist gatherings were yet on the lap of the gods), was constrained to exclaim, "the future belongs to the Communists,” what must the feelings be of those opponents of the socialisation of the world's work, and wealth, who read the above cable from Berlin on the morning of*,the 19th instant, with the addedf information that one hundred thousand persons welcomed the delegates at an open-air meeting at Cannstalt, a suburb of Stuttgart. .The international, as the Socialist Congress is called by all "comrades,” no matter the land of their birth or habitation, had its. genesis in the now defunct International Working Men's Association, r- This association, the old International, was composed of trades unionists and members of workers' clubs and societies, - with more or less advanced views, and held its-last meeting at The Hague in -1872. For the next sixteen years there was no similar - gathering of representatives of the working class, although in various countries the Socialists and trades unionists held "national” conferences. Germany, ever well in the van, held annual conference's, the chief of these taking place in 1875 at Gotha. Here the Marxian section affiliated with the section led by the brilliant Lassalle, thus definitely creating the now world-famed German Socialdemokratichen Partei, with - a practical programme and a clear-cut objective. In 1878 Bismarck put in force the repressive law against Social Democracy, forcing the German Socialists to. urn out of German territory to hold their annual gatherings. The first of these took place at Hyden, m Switzerland, fol- , lowed by others at Copenhagen, St. Gallen, etc. . Out of evil comefh good, and -rin great measure to this,,paece of Bis-. mar.ckian policy we owe .the. revival of feXPhu.*lnternational. :

The French Workers' Congresses, always advanced in political opinion, declared for Socialism in the 'eighties, and even the extensive splittings into groups, which, till a couple of years ago, characterised the movement in France, more than elsewhere, did not prevent such meetings being representative of the nation's Socialism. Among the many congresses held in other parts of Europe during the period referred to, the following were the most important:—Ghent (Belgium), 1877; Hainfeld (Austria), 1888; Milan (Italy), 1891; Buda-Pesth (Hungary), 1893. Each of these gave a distinct impetus to Socialism by some new development of policy ,or a new promulgation of programme. In 1889 the Socialists of Sweden met in congress, and in the same year the American Socialist Convention met at Chicago. That the international principle should not he entirely lost sight of natives of other conntries were often invited to take part in these national assemblies, and now and then to preside over them. At the Roubaix Congress, for instance, three British delegates, Harry Quelch (now editor of "‘Justice”), Belfort Bax, and the late J. L. Joynes, were present, while at the French congress at Marseilles the presence of the great German Socialist, Wilhelm Lieblcnecht, was hailed with much enthusiasm. THE CONGRESS REHABILITATED. The re-establishment of The International was finally brought about at Paris in 1889, and most appropriately coincided with the anniversary of the Revolution. This congress at Paris is universally regarded as the first meeting of the new International,' although a smaller and certainly much less representative congress held in London.the year previously must not be altogether forgotten in this connection. At Paris out of 612 delegates there were ninety-one from other countries, Britain sending fortytwo, amongst whom were Mr 11. M. 'Hyndman, Mrs Beasant, and Mr John Burns. This congress met in two sections —the Possibilists and the Marxists. Mr William Morris, Mr Cunninghame Graham, and Dr and Mrs Aveling (Eleanor Marx) .were' tlie British delegates to the latter,’ while Herr Bebel represented Germany. This congress was noted for two things: the passing of the resolution calling for the abolition of .standing armies, and the inarch of 500 Marxists to Pere La Chaise, and the placing of a gigantic wreath on the tomb of the heroes of the Commune.

The next congress met at Brussels in .jiil. Prior to its meeting the British Trades Union‘Congress, at its Liverpool ••ithering, gave instructions to its Parliamentary Committee to do all in its power to make the Brussels Congress a success. The “Old Unionists,” however, dominated the Parliamentary Committee, and the instruction was most inadequately acted upon, but at Zurich, in 1893, the British Labour movement was well represented, and has been ever since, though the number of delegates (one hundred and thirty) attending this year is a record, being exactly double the number which attended the Zurich Congress fourteen years ago. The Zurich Congress signalised itself by excluding all delegates who refused to recognise the necessity of political action, and in accordance with this resolution the Anarchist delegates were bundled out of the Tonhalle in a body. In 1896 the congress met in London. On this occasion Anarchist delegates were present in forse, and tried to force an entrance, although the congress held itself bound by the resolution of the previous congress. In this fight they had the .whole-hearted -support of the Independent Labour Party delegates, led by Mr Heir Hardie and Mr Tom Mann, who held‘that the Anarchists were Socialists, and were therefore entitled to be represented at any International Socialist Congress. The foreign delegates, however, were adamant, and the exclusion of the Anarchists was enforced. In the summer of 1900 The International again met at Paris, when, despite the previous expulsion of the Anarchists, the Anarchist contention that the increasing concentration of capital and the resultant economic disorder, irreducible by political means, rendered inevitable a direct conflict between Labour and Capital, which , must take the form of a General Strike, was put as an amendment and carried. THE PRESENT GATHERING.

With reference to the present gathering, it may be noted that delegates - are eligible from all trades unions and Socialist societies which acknowledge the necessity for political action, and support a definite Socialist objective. Each nation verifies the credentials of its own delegates. According to Continental usage, it is not necessarv that motions should be "seconded, amendments are taken as alternative motions, arid it is not considered a point of order that any resolution should he before the meeting. Every speech is delivered three times over—namely, in English, French, and German. The voting power of the various nations is allocated as follows : —Austria-Bohemia, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, twenty votes each; Italy,fifteen; United States America, fourteen; Belgium, twelve; Denmark, Poland, Switzerland, ten each; Finland, Holland, Sweden, eight each; Hungary, Norway, Spain, six eaoh; Argentina, Australasia (including New Zealand), Bulgaria, Japan, Roumania, four each; and Luxemburg, two votes. The congress is under the presidency of Herr Paul Singer. Other notable Parliamentarians and propagandists present are Bebel, Jaures, Ferri, Dr Adler, Vandervelde, Huysmans, Herve, Voilmar, Bruce Glasier (editor of the "Labour Leader”), J. R. MacDonald, Hyndman, De Leon (editor New York "Daily People”), Nemec, Rouvanovitcb, and Madame Balabanoff. Mr Bruce Glasier, writing of meeting the last named at a committee a couple of months ago, says:—She is a little woman, still young, but looking supremely pale and overstrung. So intent is she on the great struggle for liberty in her country (Russia) that nothing regarding herself matters to/her. So she is dressed m an absolutely simple dark gown; no ornament or lace or other nicety of dress does she wear. Her dress might be a shroud. Food she hardly heeds, so that she well-

nigh starves herself. I felt somewhat humiliated when I saw how heartily we British, German, and French Socialists partook of our luncheon, while she could hardly be persuaded to touch the food on her plate. “Food! Food does not matter to me,” she said. The congress now in session at Stuttgart, Wurtemburg, is expected to take rank as the most important international gathering yet held., A strong effort will be made to perfect the organisation. Never before (says the “Social Democrat”) was it so important that Socialist opinion should exercise its full influence •in -international affairs. To-day the organised Socialist party in all countries is infinitely stronger than ever before, and its international influence must be increased in proportion. In the days of the “Old International” the strength of the organised working class party was infinitesimal compared with what it is today, and there is urgent need of the international movement being so perfectly organised that any pronouncement issuing from the Socialist Bureau shall have behind it . all the organised force of International Socialism. Never was it so imperative that the international movement he consolidated. It cannot afford to have international disunity; it cannot afford to speak with various voices; it cannot afford to have fiascos. The International —the New International —must make itself heard, must make itself feared.