GERMAN WORKERS AND THE WAR.The Inside of It; A Discouraging Story. BV FRANK SHODRY, Tacoma, Wash.

In June, 1919, the German people found themselves again in great danger of a renewal of war by the action of the government, the right wing socialists and the rest of the conservative parties declaring themselves against the Peace-Agreement of Versailles.

The lickspittles of the Kaiser and his hangmen in their criminal undertakings were about to condemn the German population again to starvation, death and pestilence and here was where the independent socialists put a stop to their game-not because they belived it was a just peace-noeverything that could be said against said agreement was voiced. They asked: What became of the Wilson peace? What became of the League of Nations to do away with militarism of all countries? Versailles taught them, that capitalism would not bring universal peace nor universal brotherhood.

The war of 1914-1919 was an imperialistic and commercial war. The question was, who shall rule? Who shall have the profits from Asia?-Germany or England? Who shall have power over Central Africa?-Germany or France? The German imperialists dreamed of the big states of middle Europe. So it went down the line which led to the great war, the legal murder of great masses.

In the hour of danger in 1914 the "Rechtssozialisten", better known as "warsocialists" forgot their international principles, but the rank and file, (always referred to as the minority) protested against all wars and issued a pamphlet, which should be widely distributed (on August 2, 1914) but hindered by the declaration of martial law on July 31, 1919. Part of the pamphlet read as follows:

"As an excuse for the opening of the bloodbath was the murder of "Serajewo❞ taken. The Austrian war parties wanted the war. They wanted the war, although they knew that Russia never would permit a full humiliation of Serbia and as an almost sure thing war with Russia would follow. The Austrian government figured on the help from Germany. The help from Germany in turn would bring France into the field of slaughter and further Italy and England would take part on the spilling of blood.

"Shall the German worker sacrifice life and blood to defend the hideous craziness of the Austrian government? Shall

they sacrifice themselves for the outrage of the profit eagerness of a handful of German warmakers?"

How completely the German war interests had everything fixed up, we can read in the German Whitebook as follows:

"The Reichskanzler to the government. Berlin, July 28, 1914. (Confidential). Should Russia take a hand to spread the firebrand, against our hope, we will faithfully with the full might of our government protect the neighbor monarchy."

The Rechtssozialisten are guilty as the rest of the warmakers, as guilty of murder of the great mass of workers slaughtered on the so-called field of honor. The social democrats in 1914 had about one million dues paying members and more than a hundred daily papers. The Socialist Trades Unions had two and a half million members. If this mass of people had not surrendered to militarism but had stood pat like the independents in 1919, war and all the suffering would have been avoided, because no government could wage a war against the will of the millions of people.

In 1914 already it came to split in the Socialist party. The radical element stood out against the warbeast in Wuertemberg and did not move in spite of all the horror brought upon them by the representatives of the government. Some times as many as 200 men and women were in prison, while

masses of them were sent to the frontline trenches, to be killed off as quick as possible.

The "Der Wahre Jacob," the official funny paper of the right wing socialists of August 28, 1914, had a front page cartoon showing three Germans striking at a Russian, Englishman and a Frenchman with the words glorious Hohenzollern underneath "Well, boys, get at it! Nothing will help but this." This was the way the right wing socialists understood "Workers of the world unite."

The brute responsible for the above mentioned picture, Editor Heyman is at present right wing socialist Kulturminister of Wuertemberg.

The "Courier", the official organ of the Transport Workers' Union of October 25, 1914, published a similar article regarding the war.

The right wing socialist Scheidemann (at present a fugitive in Switzerland) wrote at the beginning of1915: "We want the victory! I wish to all an immovable will to come through until victory!"

Mr. Scheidemann, the traitor of the working class, had good talking in his good quarters with a bulletproof roof above his head.

More and more such treachery of the socalled leaders of the old parties could be mentioned. For further proof I will just mention the "Lichtstrahlen" in October issue of 1914. Also it would be worth while to cite an incident of August 4, 1917, when the Reichstag's President, Dr. Kaempf, called for a patriotic celebration and Legien, the president of General Commission of the German Trades' Unions and a right wing socialist, took advantage of the chance to deliver a very patriotic speech to suit the war parties.

In November, 1918, finally the whole structure of the militarists fell. The revolution put an end to the butchery.

At the present time all radical meetings are prohibited and the independent socialists as well as communists have a hard struggle against the Ebert-Bauer-Noske regime.

But time will tell.

STOP!

The policeman at the intersection of a street crossing raises his hand and signals to STOP. It is obeyed without a murmur. Everyone knows it is intended to extend a privilege to others, for the time being, to cross adversely to those who are ordered to STOP.

So should there be a policeman to raise his hand in the turmoil of existing conditions and give the order to STOP.

We might ask STOP what? Is there anything to STOP? The press leads us to believe there is; the American people know there is. The lines are sharply drawn by Capital and Labor, and accusations are flung by the one at the other; Capital and its coterie accusing Labor of radicalism and anarchy; Labor and its sympathizers accuse Capital of autocracy and profiteering. Who, then, should be the policeman to raise his hand with authority to give the command to STOP? Not partisan political parties, not Capital's learned satelites, nor Labor's radicals.

Our Legislators know, Capital and Labor know and the American people know-that the command will come; liberty-loving, patri. otic American citizens hope it will come with an understanding and knowledge that it will be square, honest and fair to all, and not bring a jar that will throw the Nation into bewilederment and chaos.

How can the jar of the STOP be avoid

ed? In no way but by the strong hands of TRUTH and stern JUSTICE-and to give stern JUSTICE a chance to do its part, it is necessary that accusations made shall be substantiated.

Accusations are made against Labor of radicalism, violence and bribery; accusations are made against Capital of murder, cheating and profiteering; accusations are made against publicists of falsely accusing CAPITAL and LABOR, whereby the issues are confused and the crooked politician is enabled to gain power and thrive. There are legislators who are not adverse to the putting through of laws that are detrimental and which will give the American people a JAR when the COMMAND is given to STOP.

To enforce a command implies POWER. POWER may be intellectual, POWER may be born of fear, POWER may be derived from might. Which should rule the American people, POWER there must be-will it be Labor's intellectual might, with Capital's intellectual co-operation, or will it be either Labor's radicalism or Capital's autocracy?

LIFE, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of HAPPINESS are LABOR'S inherent rights, how many enjoy it? Wealth possesses the same privileges and all who have it can enjoy them. "THEREFORE, CAREFUL, ALEXANDER!"

Jos. A. BRIEGEL. Local Union No. 830 (Sign Painters)