The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-28

Copyright, 1913, by Curtis Brown.)
~ ERLIN, September 27-(special)
Europe's socialism has grown
H. tame. The time is coming when 1t
will cease its intranslgent opposition to
creative politics; will form cabinets quite
like other parties; go to court; and cheer
Kings and emperors. That is the refiec-
ION made on the death of August Bebel,
the greatest of socialist stalwarts, and
the main bulwark of the intransgent
section which does nothing but oppose.
The transition from opposition to positive
work has been visible to observers for
ten years past: it has taken shape In
south Germany; has been accomplished
In France; and in the smaller states OF
northern Europe is an accomplished fact.
One of August Bebels last remarks
was an admission of this. His remark
was that of the 100000 processing Ger
man socialists who voted at the general
election Of 1912, probably only 2,000W
were staiwarts. Forces so great could
be recruited only on the assumption that
they are to do something; and the doc
trne of the stalwart German socialists
is that nothing is to be done, and that
ii is enough to let the enemy make mis-
takes and to point them out. But even
the Bebelites saw that as socialism
swelled its ranks, it became everywhere
more inclined for practical politics and
participation in government france,
though the most essentially capitaistic
state in Europe, has had socialist minis
ters like Millerand, BRAND and Viviani.
and saw the spectacle OF the arch-sociai-
ist BRAND warning as fercely with rail-
way strikers as the Prussan police min
ister In Italy half the socialists re-
conciled themselves with the Tripoll raid,
and the fiery socialist Bissolau was seen
shaking King Victor Emanuel's hand.
and getting the offer OF portfolio. In
Bavaria and Baden the socialists have
broken the party rule against voting for
budgets These facts have been inter-
preted to mean that when a party grows
sufficiently strong it's insuppressible in
stinct is to take hand in creative poll
tics, and that only weak parties are con-
tented with personally opposing.
I;ebel began to see that what happened
IN Franco would happen elsewhere. Ana
during the past weeks the domestic MS
terry of Holland and Denmark shows the
same thing. In both countries, the SOW
ereigns have been willing and even anx-
ious to take socialists as ministers OF
state; in both countries the most promf-
nent socialists have tried to accept the
offer, and have been willing to carry on
the national government in the old. hated
''DC0rSeOlS way, eiihiiSS
fleets and police, and reconciling them
selves with the capitalistic constitution
of society In both countries the pro-
feet to make socialist ministers has been
temporarily checked by small majorities
which hang to the old system of unqual1-
fed opposition.
The opposition In the socialist ranks
to offers to make socialists ministers, and
otherwise to entrust them with powers,
f,~o,, oil
socialism Outside England and France
all European Left" or ltra-progressve
parties have always shrl<ed office. Their
theory has been that Left parties ex-
fst in order to expose and to make obi
o.s reactionary governments: but thai
the Left" parties need not necessarily
- ready to supply alternate govern
ments. This tradition is one cause of
the weakness of German liberalism.
Fifty wears ago when Prussian liberals
3 had majority In the Diet they reject
ed with ridicule the suggestion that they
might themselves supply ministers. Later
In the present Emperors reign, this
was repeated. When the Reichstag radi-
Gals rejected y army bill Wilhelm "
was willing thMt the "Freisinn'' leader
Richter should become minister. This
was n strong concession to parimen-
.tarism and the Kaiser has the unauali-
fed right to name and dismiss ministers.
Richter and his radicals were willing,
and thereby parliamentary government in
Germany lost it's first and only chance
or becoming a fact.
Outside France socialists, as rule.
\ have not had chance to become minis
ters: but now that they are getting the
chance they cannot shake off the old radi-
cal tradition that Left" partv exists 10
oppose. and to make trouble but not to
create. The Dutch socialists have this
month Illustrated this and at the same
time proved that shch intransgeance is
slowly passing and that socialism in Hol-
land is becoming tiresomely tame. Tho