The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1914-08-29
THE Cause OF THE
EUROPEAN WAR
~ EDWIN ,. BROWN,
7ra FIRST AvSpua

II does not seem possibls that Ten
million men would mobilize and gst
ready for gigantic. stupendoraI
killing. wholesale murder and de-
burning OF each ochers homea and
property simply because = luaatic
anarchist killed "a duke. does III
War degrades nation and de-
Daucher. crippies and mains the
best OF its manhood. while CORE
sponding TO its great battles are the
widows and orphans whose misery.
sorrow, DEGRADATION and want are
never told.
what have the common people q
Germany Nothing,
what wrong have the worklng-
men OF Austria done the workinx-
men OF Engiand7 None
What harm have the producers ee
Belgium done the producers Of Ger
AJAX many soldiers why they ars
fighting and they cannot tell, but
there are many among the conncn
people who know. The one greAk
good that this siaughter--whoiena
lis going 10 do IN TO convincs and
bring 20 the common people cos
sciouEoeHs that one class does the
shooting and gets shot. while another
class makes profit from war.
ouR OWN PATRIOTIC CITIZENS
Did you notice that as soon a. the
working people In Europe started
TO XIII each other Just TO please
their exploliers and satisfy their god
tdollars). that those patriotic Amsri-
cans. Big business Buns. raised the
prices on all necessities OF life.
This - done to show and prove their
patriotism and love for the plain
people. You see. while special priv
iiege in Europe starts one-hsif OF
the. workers TO killing the other
half, the same special privilege class
In this country would stsrye Us all.
They are patriots" but he'll" II
though Il may be banked and
smouidering, democracy will some
day kindle IL into a blaze that viii
sweep exploitation and clAss robbery
and social oppression into the past.
The day OF reckoning may bring
with IL n terrible refribution upon
the oppressors OF the race.
Now. permit me TO quote In full
an editorial by the ext. S. Socialist
Congressman. Victor L. Berger. II
the Milwaukee Leader.
THE REAL CAUSE OF WAR;
1T was not the Jealousy OF NOM
archs, the ambition OF Germany, the
competition for trade with England.
the desire for revenge OF Prince
nor even the rapacious westward
march OF the Slav.
All these determined where the
lines should be drawn and had some
thing with saying who the combat
ants should be. But the very confu-
sion and contradictory reports and
counter accusations OF blame sbow
that none OF these excuses 10 ado
ouate.
But there was one enemy which
tyranny feared In every land. which
was hated by English aristocrat
Prussian Junker. French bourgeois
and Russian autocrat. That enemy
was democracy. freedom. education.
are incarnated In the spirit OF
progress. and which have been gath
cred together under the name OF In
ternational Socialism.
This WAS the Inner enemy o.
'Fatherlandless rascals, cursed By
other despot OF Europe In his own
way.
This army OF progress was
threatening the rule 81 action. the
tinuance OF those national jealousies
upon which demasogues in all lands
depend TO blind the workers TO their
enslavement at home. In every pa
ton there was growing rsoeiiion
against the system that tied cansA
non ball 10 the leg or every. peAsa
and stole soldiers ration from
daily meal of every wage-worke
family.
THAT rebellion threatened II
overthrow Of the forces that Pre- 81
by the exploitation OF labor, u n
building OF naNies and maintenan
Of armies, and the rule OF reacucY
Here is the force that was dri'S
ing on TO war, just because X wa
fighting all the forces that mako Tor
war. Those who live by and profit
from war would rather plunge tho
world in a mad slaughter than give
up their murderous toys,
Before the war has gone Tor
many months IL viii be found that
the real enemies In this conflict are
not marked by battle FLAGS ana
boundary posts. So evident has THIS
fact become that the great majority
OF the non Socialist press In Amer
lea is admitting IL.
Whether this new alignment VIII
fight with military arms depends
largely on the length ~ time that
the conflict continues. The only rope
OF the system OF militarism ana
autocracy is in a short conflict IL
is impossible 20 conceive OF q popna
lation, In which there are 100000
and which has been shot
through with the spirit OF democ-
racy, to continue for years fighting
the battles OF its worst enemies.
THE real war the war that VIII
have an intelligihle reason behind II,
will begin when the new struggle -
the war-torn peoples 81 Europa"
Next week I shall tell where the
Socialists stand and what they have
done In an effort 20 prey emit the
murder Of the people IN Europe
EDWIN J. BRowN
sls First Av. -