New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-01
RI s Practical Leader Of the Soc alist Element in
the Parliament Believes the Working Class
Here Has Had an Unequalled Opportun-
ity toLearn What Capitalism Means.

was referred back for further considcra-
, ton, and will come up again at Vienna
when the congress again meets next year.
and am hopeful Of It's being carried
The working class can have no interest
In war. The cost of the war falls upon
them, and it is their sons, for the most
part, who have to 60 out and be slain In u
light In which they cannot have any con-
| Germ, and so the working class movement
! OF the world is against war and Is rapidly
becoming against miiitarism also.
In the legal aspect oil a strike against
war, will the working class gain its point
through taking possession of parliament
airy power? Yes. CONSUMPTION was en-
| acted by the ruling classes at time
when the working class was voteless.
Since they have become citizens they have
power 10 change the system, and there
| is no government that can afford TO take
the risk OF a revolution which would I'M
doubleday break out If any attempt was
made 10 coerce the whole OF the organized
working class movement into obeying a
law In which they no longer believed
Peace at home Is one OF the essentials of
war abroad. and with revolutionary feel
ing at home, which would be the case
where the workers are prepared to strike
| against war. no government would dare 10
take the risk of entering upon a war.
Thus the very determination to strike
against war goes far 70 make the declara-
ton Of war an inpossibility
Is this anything like Herveism or some
| thing on larger scale? II is the devel-
| opment Of Herveisnl, OF Nerves idea, but
he goes much beyond that, in denouncing
nationalism as being a remnant of a
state Of things which has long since passed
away, and he advises the working class
of France not 20 lend themselves 10 a
perpetuation OF militarism by going out
for military training. II was for this
that he was sentenced 10 six years i'm
prisonment In his advice that young
men should refuse to be trained for the
army / entirely concur.
AS 10 the alleged attitude OF the Ger
man socialist leaders as 10 war and the
statement that the German socialists are
just as patriotic as any other citizen. and
would come out 10 defend the fatherIand
that statement has no bearing what
ever on the general situation. II was
made by Herr Vollmar. himself a military
man and an aristocrat who spoke for
himself and not for the party To fight
10 protect ones country against invasion
is one thing, but 10 take part In wal
between two countries In the interest OF
capitalism Us quite another. England
could not invade Germany. and. there
fore, the question. so far as these two
countries are concerned, does not arise.
Vfs atVxs Iaf ~
England Is largely the outcome OF the
refusal Of England TO agree to propo-
sition to make trading ships immune
from capture during war. When Eng
land refused 10 support this proposition
Germany was then more or less compelled
10 build fleet 10 protect her mercantile
shipping should war break out
The Lloyd George scheme of insurance
is only copy of the scheme put forward
and enacted IN Germany as long ago az
1873. Prince Bismarck about that time
set himself out 10 destroy socialism by
making II illegal TO hold Socialist meet
ings and by imprisoning and banishing
the leaders Of socialism. He thought that
by this move and also by doing something
| for the working class he would kill the
socialist leaders he enacted his insurance
scheme. and to-day 4.250.00O Of the Ger
man electors vote the Socialist ticket.
| In Great Britain socialism is making
tremendous Roadway, and Mr.. Lloyd
| George and his colleagues hope 10 stay
! It's progress by the Insurance scheme.
The basis of that scheme is this: There
| is much sickness among the working
| class, arising out of poverty due TO low
wages, and also to unhealthy labor con-
ditions and what Mr.. Lloyd Georges
| scheme proposes is TO compel the workers
TO contribute TO fund to give them sick
pay and proper medical attendance. The
British workman however, like his Ger
man colleague. has enough common sense
10 see that the real remedy for the sick
fness due TO poverty is not to cure the