The sun., 1907-08-19
SOCIALIST CONGRESS- MEETS
FIRST GREAT CONVENTION HELD
on GERMAN SOIL.
Delegates Number $50 ana Come From
Twenty-Five Countries Tho stuttgart
streets Decorated --BebeI's speech On
Movements sSsrowth--Big Mass Meeting

|
Special cable Despatch 10 rBE SuS,
STUTTGART, Aug is.-For the first time
n great international Socialist congress is
meeting on German soil The visiting dele
gates had an enthusiastic reception to-day
! in special room in the railway station
J draped with red and adorned with ever
green's. The streets from the station to
! the meeting hall were decorated with hags,
red benR'the predominant color.
The delegates number $50. Germany has
sent 300; England. ISO; France, 20; Austria.
10, and Russia. SO. Switzerland. Bohemia.
Hungary. Italy. Bulgaria, Runania, Swe-
den. Holland. the United States. Argentina.
South Africa. Australia and Japan sent
smaller numbers. The most important
delegates are considered to be Hyndman
Of England. Rebel and Singer of Germany.
DR.. Adler Of Austria. Ferri Of Italy. Jaures
and Valiant of France. Greulich Of Swit0cr-
land. Axelrod and Plechanof OF Russia.
Auseelde and Van der velde Of Belgium, Van
kol and Troelstra Of Holland, Brsnting Of
Sweden and Hillquist Of America.
The congress, which will sit for week,
will consider questions Of militarism, in
ternational conflicts. the relations between
political parties and industrial workers
!
mitted TO the meetings
The neighborhood of Lieder Halle, where
the congress meets, presented a picturesque
scene Every type and condition Of man
and woman is seen. broad chested Ser
vians in rough. country clothes, stolid
English artisans and wild eyed Russians
in peculiar student attire. The female
element, particularly from the Slav
countries, was especially strong
One of the questions which the leaders
consider the most important Ia immigra-
ton and emigration of workmen. The
Amsterdam congress considered two reso-
lutions dealing with this. one rejecting all
legislative measures tending to hinder
the entrance OF alien workmen, but oppos-
! ing the importation Of workmen for sweat
ing purposes, and the other. presented
by the Dutch. American and Australian
delegates. enjoining on the party opposition
to the importation Of negroes and China
men. The Amsterdam congress reached
no decision and referred the whole matter
to the next congress for further examina-
ton.
The relations of trade unions to social
democracy will also form an important point
! in the programme. The British Indepen-
! amendment asking for the admission to
the International congress Of those trade
unions which, though bona fide, are not
expressly based on class war, but the inter-
national bureau recommends the rejection
of the proposal.
The bureau further advises the congress
to refer to the Interparliamentary Commits
sion the proposal of the English Social
ALL al, 81 4. N
! introduce simultaneously in all Parliaments
motion for establishing by law a maximum
of working hours.
The chief event to-day after Van der
Velde. secretary of the lnternational So
cialist Bureau. declared the conference
open in the presence Of delegates represent
ing twenty-five nationalities was Bebels
speech. The German Socialist leader was
received with unmeasured enthusiasm. He
declared that never had international So
oialism gathered such brilliant assem-
blage
After mentioning the fact that the French
Socialists, since the Amsterdam congress.
had increased their representation in the
Chamber from thirty-seven TO fifty-four.
he said that for the first time the English
proletariat, which hitherto had not en-
dependent fight and gained a brilliant vic
tory.
The Government Of England had taken
the Socialist John Burns into the Cabinet
IGroans and cheers from the English dele
gatesl, but w spite of this concession, 40
far AZ he could see the Government had
not succeeded in changing the fighting
tactics of the woramen's party. In Fin
N 4 Il ~.
Socialists had gained triumphs.
In Germany the situstions might seem
different. Still. the last RechAag elections.
although they resulted in q reduction in the
Socialist seats. showed a gain of a quarter
Of million in the Socialist vote since 1900.
The number of organized workmen had
increased from $4,000 10 $4,000. The men
enrolled in Socialist syndicates in 1907
NUMBERED 100000.
Herr Eebel then referred to the strong
representation Of the Socialist party in the
United States in the congress. He men,
toned the "scandalous prosecution" Of
Haywood in Idaho. where. he said the
capitalist classes had done everything
| possible 10 convict him. but after all he
had been brilliantly acquitted. In con-
| clusiop Herr Bebel expressed the hope that
tnIb conference WOulu DeUeT tndu tne
one sill sitting at The Hague. which would
bring forth a most ridiculous mouse which
would probably be stilborn.
After a speech by Van der Velde the
order of the day was adopted. Herr Singer
was elected president. II was arranged
that the various national delegations should
meet tomorrow and each elect a maximum
Of four members to aid on five commits
sions. The first plenary sitting will he on
Tuesday
This afternoon there was a gigantic
mass meeting in the fields at Cronstadt.
suburb of Stuttgart, 10000 Socialists
being present. The meeting was unpar-
alleled in the history of Social Democracy
The dense orderly crowd swsrmed around
ak red drsped platforms, whence they
were addressed by their leaders.
In a never ending stream came orderly
professions Of different trade unions and
guilds, with bands playing and with banners
bearing inscriptions reading: Eight hours
! work eight hours play, eight hours rest
-Workmen unite" and "Long live interng-