The Washington socialist. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1914-1915, 1914-12-31
DISCiPLINING LIEBKNECHT

New York Volkszeltung Editorial
The cabled report that the Social
| Democratic members of the German
/ Heichstag have turned against Karl
Liebknecht because OF his refusal to
vote the governments war credit of
five billion will bear confirmation.
Should it prove true and be found
that Liebknecht is to be disciplined
| by the parliamentary group, it will
mean an end to the proud unity Of
German Social Democracy, and a be-
ginning of that breach that many pre-
dcted when, on August 4, the deputies
without protest sanctioned the war
credits.
Let there be no mistake about the
matter. Liebknecht does not stand
alone, neither in the parliamentary
faction nor still less in the party. We
know that In the party caucus four
teen Of seventy deputies registered
their protest against the war credits
OF August 4, and that they, together
with Liebknecht, were silent during
its passage, because the parliamentary
group had instructed the minority to
give way before the greater number.
That discipline and acknowledge
ment of majority rule to which the
German Socialists are so accustomed
held sway, but at this session Lieb-
knecht alone rebelled. This, despite,
as we know, the increase In the num-
Der Of deputies who acknowledge they
erred in their voting on August
voted in favor of the appropriation
have since openly admitted they
Numbered. Many, too, may have con-
sidered that additional credits must
not be withheld, now that Germany is
plunged into war.
The feeling that the deputies we're
on the wrong path Is more widespread |
among the rank and file of the party |
than among the parliamentary group
itself. We learn through reports from
Berlin, Leipsic, Bremen, HamDurs.
Stuttgart and other sources that great |
masses of the rank and file are not at
all in sympathy with the course taken
by their Reichstag representatives.
Conditions caused by the war stop
their mouths for the time being. But
even the restraint under which Ger
many today suffers cannot entirely
hush the growing opposition. In
countless party organs Of Germany
voices are raised, despite all censor
ship, against the unworthy stand of
certain party papers as regards the
war, and protests against such stands
are finding echo in many groups of
the membership.
That these groups will not look fav-
orably upon a dsciplining Of Lieb-
knecht because of his opposing vote
is certain. Perhaps the dissatisfac-
ton would not Immediately become
noticeable, because prevailing condi-
tions in the empire and the pressure
exerted by the government would
make it impossible. Just so much
stronger, however, will it manifest it.
self on the return of normal condi-
tons, and, as said before, make a
split imminent in the once proud Ger
man Social Democracy.
Such is the curse of the evil deed
that, progressively, it must continual
ly give birth to new evil The vote
of August has not merely dealt the
a severe blow. 1t even
threatens to disrupt the zealously
guarded unity of the German Social
Democracy.
So far on the field of battle the
German government has achieved no
notable success. Yet, in a certain
way, she has won a notable victory.
She has succeeded in dealing her
elmer foe" blow from which it will
only emerge with great difficulty.
Such victory, to the Prussian-Ger-
man regime is well worth all the
wasted blood of the German people.