Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-09
SOCIALISM Is GROWING
REPORTS SUBMITTED TO THE
STUTTGART CONGRESS.

Special Cablegram TO The Star.
LONDON, September 9.-The reports upon
the progress of the socialstic movement in
all parts of the world. which were submit
ted to the Stuttgart congress, have now
been published in three large volumes. One
would infer from a perusal of these enthu-
siastic records from twenty-siX countries,
extending from Japan to Chile, that man
kind was about to adopt the tenets OF So
cialism en- masse. 1t is well to give full
recognition to some facts which these vol
umes present, for 1t is clear at least that
the movement has gained a large and still
growing following in nearly all countries
Thus In Germany, despite the setback at
the last election, the socialists are numer-
ically stronger than ever.
In France the two great wings of the So
c!aliSt party have united and become a po-
litical factor of large Importance In Eng
land the attempt to combine. socialism and
trades unionism, though far from success
full as yet, is making progress. In every
country the socialist leaders claim an enor-
nous growth of popular support.
The keynote of the socialist propaganda
of late has been international solidarity. 1t
is this point which they emphasize so
strongly and which all agree upon in theory
that threatens to destroy them in practice.
The leaders realize that all nations must
plunge into socialism together if at all.
Any country which attempted alone to abol-
ish private property and turn over all eco
monte functions to the state would, of
course, speedily be ruined.
International Solidarity.
But the idea of international solidarity is
a crushing blow at Stuttgart The delegates
there represented so many shades of opin-
ion and such wide and irreconcilabe diff
ferences that it seemed an absurdity that
fhay oil ~,
er inscribed socialism or something else.
The division in the movement was well rep
resented by two reports from the United
States which were fatty contradictory.
They We're presented by the socialist party
and by the socialist labor party. The former
gives this picture Of the present-day situa-
tion In America:
The march of capitalistic progress has
degenerated into a mad and frenzied race
for fortunes. Thousands have mounted the
walls, but millions have fallen into the
ditch and been tramped under foot. The
deep-rooted discomfort ensVndered by recent
developments in industrial and political life
has taken firm hold of the mass of the
population. They will never again be rec
onciled to actual conditions and existing
Iniquities. They are prepared to join hands
with any opponents of the present system.
Easy Prey to Charlatans.
For some time probably they will fall an
easy prey to charlatans and political adj
venturers who may hoist any radical or re-
formst lag. But these reformist move
ments swiftly subside. They have no pro-
gram, no clear philosophy. no definite social
idea, no uniform action. They do not repre-
sent in any consistent fashion the economic
interests of the working class, and they
are destined to disgust their followers and
to disappear"
All these reports, however. are chiefly re-
markable for what they do not contain.
There is not a word of the dissensions
which are as rampant locally as those which
found expression on the floor of the confer
ence. The proceedings Of the congress It
self furnish indeed a conclusive and de-
structtve answer to all the imposing array
set forth in the two volumes published this
week.