The Washington herald., 1914-08-25
ALL SOCIALISTS
OPPOSED WAR
Both French and German
Leaders Advocated Peace
In Face Of Crash.
ONE A MARTYR TO CAUSE
While DR.. Karl Eebkpeeht Deepened
kaiser's Personal Emnity. Jsures
Vas Slain in Paris.

haIsetS Tefsonai Emnlty, yaures
Was Slain in Paris.
Socialism is fundamentally opposed 70
war, and the beginning OF the great Eu-
ropean struggle witnessed the Assassina-
tion OF Jean Leon, Jaurea. Socialist leader
In France and one of the worlds greatest
opponents OF armed conflict and bloo1-
shed. This actual occurrence was fol-
lowed by the publication in q London
labor paper. the citiSen, OF a report that
Dr. Karl Liebknecht, the Socialist leader
In the German Reichstag. was executed
for refusal to do military duty. The
story was based entirely on q Fumor cir
cnlated by a German refugee In London
and has since been disproved.
Jaures, leader OF the Socialists In the
French Chamber of Deputies. was shot
to death by an assassin July 81 before
France declared war and while the So
cialists there were vigorously urging
peace.
Socialists Opposed War.
When the war scare came to a head
with Austria-Hungary's declaration of
hostilities against Servia. the Socialists
In the French Chamber and the German
Reichstag. In both OF which legislative
bodies that political party has consider
able representation, were opposed TO war.
Liebknecht and Jsures, Socialist leaders
In their respective Parliaments, threw ali
their influence in the balance for peace.
In France the Socialists held out to
the end against conflict. In the Reich
stag the majority OF the Socialist Depu-
ties finally came over and voted the war
appropriation demanded by the Kaiser.
DIR. Karl Liebknecht, editor of Vor-
waert, the leading Socialist newspaper
OF Germany. has nearly all his life been
rGA
with the imperial government. In Oc-
tober. 1907, he was tried and sent to a
fortress for eighteen months for the
publication Of pamphlet addressed to
the youth OF Germany, Inswhich he ad-
yocated a general military strike as a
mean OF preventing war. For this he
was accused of high treason. The trial
was sensational
Charged Knapp Bribery.
Last year Liebknecht was again in
the limelight by charging in the Reich
stag that oficials of the war depart
nent were bribed by the Krupp gun
makers N hand over German military
secrets and to get business for the
Erupps. Liebknecht, in effect, charged
both the armament manufacturers and
government officials with high treason.
and he made his charges so specific
that he forced the war minister to ad-
NIT that q part OF the accusations were
true.
Liebknecht's expose created a sensa-
tion. There was a long debate In the
Reichstag, which resulted in several
KEupp ofiicials and minor attaches of
the war once to be placed on trial for
treason. They were convicted and sent
to prison for short terms.
German companies are selling arms
to Russia, still another firm largely
capitalized with French money is fur
nishing armor plate TO Germany, and
all these companies are engineering
war scares in order to get contracts"
was one Of the stirring speeches made
by Liebknecht in the Reichstag, and
the present great war is pointed to by
the Socialists as in a measure justify
ing the leaders remarks.
Said Titles Were Sold.
Last June Liebknecht threw another
bono into the camp OF German oficial-
dom by declaring through his newspa-
per that German titles were bought
and sold. He alleged that there was in
Prussia a regular traffic in titles on
bass and that any honor
ary titles might be obtained with
moEey. He stated alleged facts and
gave names to prove his assertions,
and he made his charges so strong that
there was an official investigation. Ru-
mored prosecutions. though, failed TO
mnterialiZe.
ThrouEhout his career Liebknecht has
been the foe Of militarism and imperial
ism. He wants to abolish the monarchy
and establish q democratic government
in Germany. He wants to reduce the
army and do away with compulsory mill
tary service.
The assassination Of Jean Leon Jaures
was one Of the most sensational incidents
Of those tragic days in which the great
war had its beginning. Jaures. as an ex-
ponent of peace, was vigorously opposing
the war. His assassin was a student,
supposed to be a Russian
Barred by Kaiser.
Like Aebknecht, Jaures was the bit
ter foe of imperialism, large standing
armies, and compulsory military service
and he was almost as obnoxious to the
Kaiser as is the German socialist lead
er. In 1905 a sensation was caused in
France and Germany by the refusal Of
the Kaiser to permit Jaures to deliver an
address to the Socialists in Berlin. Jaures
was TO have spoken on the task Of the
Socialist Democracy in the preservation
of the worlds peace, and of the solidarity
OF the international proletariat- The
speech, published later in Jaures' news
paper, L'Humanitie. was a powerful ap-
peal to Socialists to adopt common pro-
gram against militarism and the capital
lists and to work together for the cause
Of peace. II declared that II France, Ger
many, or Great Britain went to war
with, either Of the other powers, 1t would
prove a disaster to the whole world. each
country being. necessary to civilization
and each having a noble aim.
Jaures entered politics in 1855, but not
as a Socialist. He was a Republican then.
He was elected to the Chamber OF Depu-
ties on his first candidature. 1t was not
until his defeat for reelection in 1889 that
Juares became a Socialist. In 1898 Juares
was returned to the chamber and be-
came one Of the Socialist leaders. In 1889
he failed Of reelection. He was reelected
in 1902 and from that time until his death
he was almost continuously in the cham |
Der.