Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-12
The NEW GERMAN SOCIALISM

There is something changed in social
ism. which believed. or affected to be-
neve, until recently that IL
CONGRESS was the millennium or the
culmination Of everything
" scAa' beatific. The socialist con-
gress which recently met at Jena, Ger
many, has placed its stamp Of reproba-
ton on ALI kinds of radicalism and
which have heretofore dom
mated socialism. The lesson taught at
Jena may be pondered particularly by
the red socialists OF France and likewise
by the red syndicalists OF the 1. W. W.
of America. The evolution OF German
socialism Is almost startling and merits
mention as an event Of more than or
binary political significance.
Herr Phillip Scheidemann, who recently
figured at the socialist congress at jena.
but who is now visiting the United
States, was the friend and associate Of
the late August Bebel, TO whose place
as chief of German socialism he sue
ceeds Speaking to 900 German social
lists in New Haven. Conn. on the 9th
instant, he said that the attempt to ess
tabIish syndicalism in this country was
baby work." and that "syndicalism and
anarchism were baby plays. IT was abb
soiutely foolish to give such notions
in this country or anywhere else
Coming from the chief Of German social
ism In connection with the declarations
Of the German socialist congress, IL may
be taken az a death blow to that social
ism which erstwhi!e was the synonym OF
anarchy and anti-militarism. After the
death Of Bebel, who was a conciliator and
who held in check the red element OF his
party, 1t was assumed the congress at
Jena would turn the world upside Gown,
turn down Frank Bernstein, David Heine
and Scheidemann. revtsionist or re-
formist chiefs, and place I'm the saddle
such red radicals as Ledebouz. Liephecnt.
Rosa Luxembourg and Clara Zenkin, out
such was not the case.
| It Is Instructive to note some Of the
incidents of the proceedings of the Ger
man congress, which Will serve 10
strengthen the Impressions that German
socialism is no longer intractable but OPP
portunist.
The congress met September II at Jena,
a small university city where Napoleon
defeated the Prussians In 1905. The mag
nificent hall was filled with the 500 MEM
bers. In the center of the stage, the
background of which was red, was placed
on a pedestal the bust of Bebel.
Herr Molkenbuhr delivered an eloquent
! eulogy of the dead, whose loss was de-
plored by his party. At
BebeEs Name : the mention of Bebel's
VI name the entire audience
AAonoe". arose and stood during
the remainder of the address. Our adj
| versaries," said the orator, think we are
going to divide. They. totally nisunder-
4 4 40 he. mo- 49,
Herr Ebert addressed the congress and
extended a welcome IN the name Of the
! congress to foreign socialists. Mr.. keir
Hardy responded:
~ bring to you the good wishes of two
million English syndicalists and Of sixty
| thousand organized socialists of England
and we work without ceasing to organize
still more. We have gained In these last
| two years a million Of members. We are
| trying to fuse in single group all the
| factions. a solidarity being necessary.
| The political situation does not brighten.
The Statesmen OF Europe may In gen.
| Grafton accomplish the work Of disarma-
ment but they do not wish to do So The
proletariat wishes II. One day We will
| say to- these statesmen: II your con-
| science cslnnot prevent war the proletariat
will"
| The question Of general strikes was one
| of the first to be taken up because tend
accord universal suffrage in elections to
the 1andtag.
The iandtag. it should be recalled. is the
representative assembly Of Prussia COM
, posed Of the herrenhaus or house of lords
and the observation-disclosures or chamber
of deputies
The observation-disclosures consists Of 1913
members. Every Pfussiap who has att
tanned his twenty fifth year sand is quail
fled to vote at the municipal election of
his place of domicile, is eligible to vote
as an indirect elector. The indirect
electors are divided into three classes ac-
cording to the respective amount of direct
\ taxes paid by each, arranged in such
manner that each category pays one-third
of the whole amount Of direct taxes levied
on the whole.
The first category consists Of all cleo
| tors who pay the highest taxes to the
| amount Of ops-third of the whole; the
second of those who pay the next highest
amount down to the limits of the second:
| the third Of all of the lowest taxed who
| complete the last class. The direct cleo
| tors may be nominated In each division
| Of the circle from the number OF persons
| enabled to vote indirectly without regard
| to special divisions. The representatives
| are chosen by the direct electors.
| The foregoing system the socialists
/, would replace by universal suffrage. To
this end-to force the hand of the Prus-
sian governmental was proposed to in
| augurate a general strike.
Herr Scheidemann, after tracing the sit
uation of the German socialist party, de-
,lared that 1t was neces-
Fashion sary to pass at once upon
r., a question which might be
sVu1A"a' considered frivolous II 1t
were not known that Germans were dis
posed to consider everything as serious.
The chairman then said that his commit
tee had considered the question of a fash
ion journal for the use OF conscious
and organized citoyennes." The COM
mittee had studied the subject deeply.
but had concluded that the end did not
Justify the means because Of the con-
siderable fund necessary to be employed.
In place thereof he would recommend
family review which would appear
very soon and would contain fashions as
well as discussions of socialism.
Herr Scheidemann confessed to GER
tain stagnation in German socialism.
which since the congress at Chemnitz had
not made many recruits. But II the party
had not gained In numbers 1t had in
creased in knowledge; II had recruited
Young men and women, which was prog
ress. In the party's struggle against
ornaments and against imperialism the
German socialist party had performed
duty in common with the French and
Austrian international workmen's soci-