Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1914-12-10

up regarding Socialist method, both
national and international, is fully
INDICATED. The German Social Demo
Gratis kept themselves far too much
aloof from other German movements
making In their direction and were
thus never able to use their enormous
backing In theo: country to destroy
Prussian conservatism and its military.
organization. They were too much
concerned in far-off events to pay that
attention to the immediate political
situation which was necessary. + Had
they done the latter they could have
overthroWn -Prussianism in Prussia
and with that would have gone Prus-
sianism in the rest Of Germany. Our
French comrades, on the other. hand,
|acquiesced too readily in the Russian
alliance which was being exploited by
the ordinary political parties for ends
that were purely militarist and Chau-i
whist. They talked in a vague way Of
ending war by International strikes
and omitted to attack the political CIR
|curnstances which made any thought
of such strike an inter irnpessibility
When the war broke out, they were
supplied with the excuse forsentering
upon 1t that their country was inVad-
ed and they were compelled TO Join
hands with everybody else in repelling
the invader. We, ourselves, In Great
Britain have, believe, the best rec
ord of all Whilst we were working
for peace In q general way, we DECLINE
ed to support in any particular the.
policy and proposals Of those making
war. Our feebleness consisted In the
fact that Great Britain was asleep In
foreign matters. Our insular position.
has had the effect of cutting us OF
from Continental Affairs. Our people
are Indifferent to Foreign ONCE trans.
actions and are perfectly content to
allow their foreign relationships to be
discussed and settled In secret by men
who are not called upon to- explain
what they are doing and what they
are doing and what they have In mind.
The result has been that we never
have been able to get up popular in
terest in foreign policy, and when the
war broke out the minds of our people
were quite. unprepared to consider
why we were involved, or what the
issues Of the war were to be. Our
newspapers published columns Of the
most absurd stun about German cul-
ture and German designs The book
stalls became burdened with treatises
on Germany, which were greedily de-
voured by ignorant readers and all
sorts Of side issues were dragged In
as though they were important The
intention Of the country, however, is
quite clear We have been reused by
the German invasion of Belgium and
all our old enthusiasm for small, states
and for the inviolability of treaty OBJ
legations has been awakened. In this
respect the difference between the
condition Of the South African War
and the present Is enormous. Every
one feels that there Is nothing sordid
or Chauyinist about our Intentions. It
Is a war for liberty and democracy so
far as the man In the street Is con-
cerned.
Those Of Us who decline to be swept
on our; feet, even whilst we pay hOm-
age to our national enthusiasm, can
not help welcoming this temper and
win do everything we can to make It
effective when peace comes. Our
work at the present moment Is to
strengthen, It and to prevent It from
being swamped BY the deterioration |
IN thought and purpose which always
comes from protracted war. The /
leading newspapers afe Going their /
best 70 bring about the deteFiornfion