The Washington socialist. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1914-1915, 1914-09-03
AT LAST THE TRUTH rs BE-
COMING KNOWN ABOUT
CONDITIONS IN EUROPE.
DR.. Halpern Brings News Direct
From Berlin.
Says the Socialists Did Not Support
kaiser's Policy


Germany and elsewhere lied about
Socialists rallying to the colors,"
rushing to the front with patriotic
fervor, and all that rot If there are
Socialists ut the front anywhere in
Europe they were rushed there, un-
willing victims of decadent capitalism
with its murderous and frightfully
destructive activities
DR.. julius Halpern has just returned
from Berlin, Vienna, and other cities
of Europe.
DIR, and Mrs. Halpern went to Eu-
rope to attend the International So
cialist congress, to have been held in
Vienna. He said 1t was the intention
later to hold the congress in SwitZer-
land, but that the Swiss government
made to hold the congress in France
it was, of course, too late, as the war
lords had gone too far into the blood
puddle.
Talk about war spirit being gen.
eral," said DR.. Halpern, in an inter
view published in the New York Call,
"the night before the war was de-
clared attended one of the fifty huge
antiwar demonstrations in Berlin, in
which not one voice could be heard
against the universal protestation of
the Socialists. So-called patriotic
demonstrations were being carried on
at the same time. But these patriotic
were confined, for the
most part, to immature youths, boys
from Il to 10 years, while the big
gest halls in Berlin were packed with
mature men and women applauding to
the echo our orators and workers who
criticized the emperor and the war
lords so sarcastically that | found my
self wondering at their holiness"
Socialists Not Shot.
DR.. Halpern does not believe that
Comrades Liebknecht, Luxembourg or
any of the other German comrades
were executed on account of their
anti-war activities. Not, however, be-
cause of any sudden conversion to
militarism.
"The kaiser would not dare do such
a thing" he said, with public feeling
in Germany as it was when war was
declared"
The doctor admits that there is
possibility that some of the leaders
may have been arrested but he is of
the opinion that the rulers fear the
anti-war sentiment of the working
class too much to take the risk of
striking a blaze that might start
backfire.
"The night before war was de-
clared," he said, "the members of the
party executive committee felt that
they might all be arrested, but up to
the time I left no such move had been
made"
Socialists Stand Solid.
Dr. Halpern is emphatic in his dec
laration that he believes the German
Socialists are continuing their solid
stand against the kaisers war plans.
There can be no question of it," he
said, "To any person who saw the
wonderful solidarity the wonderful
discipline, the unanimity of opinion
Jxn hnI nf q
German comrades, there can be not
the least doubt as to where their stand
is today"
In describing the action of the po-
lice in breaking up the great anti-war
demonstrations in Inter den Linden,
DIR. Halpern said that the police rode
into the crowd swinging their sabers
right and left. 81 was struck several
times on the back and side and
bruised" he said. "Others probably
were injured more seriously, though
do not believe there were any persons
severely hurt"
DR. Halpern was asked for his opin-
ION concerning what the next great
move of the European Socialists would
be and when it would be made. His
reply came like a shot.
81 believe" he said, that if the
allies are defeated the match will be
struck in Paris, and there will be So
cial revolution. From Paris it will
spread over France, and then over
Germany and Belgium and the other
countries. There will be some kings
without jobs and there will be new
changes in the map"
The doctor said that the workers
of Paris would be first to act, in his
opinion, because of their nature, their
traditions and the conditions that will
exist at is not that the workers of
Germany are not Just as ready and