The Washington socialist. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1914-1915, 1915-01-14
NOT A MAN FOR CANNON
FODDER
BY MAY WOOD.SIMONs

strength of this country and the nee
essity for the party to state its posi-
ton on the attitude it wishes this
government to take when peace nego
tiations come, have forced the cues
ton to the front.
The peace program formulated by
the peace committee of the party Is
in the hands of every party member
AS member of that committee
voted against the position taken by
the majority of the committee, on the
question of disarmament.
There Is, believe, but one position
the party can take on armament. We
should stand for complete disarma
ment, without qualification.
The first part of the program relat
ing to disarmament says:
Il. National disarmament shall be
affected Immediately upon the adop
tion of the peace program by suffi
cient number of nations. or nations OF
sufficient power so that the interna.
tional police force developed by the
terms of the program shall be ade.
quate to insure the protection of the
dsarmed
90 No increase in existing arma-
ments under any circumstances"
or this statement one can say. as a
prominent professor Of geology used
to say to his class, Perfectly general,
perfectly meaningless, and perfectly
absurd"
Illogical Position of Socialist Party.
Lay aside the poor logic involved
in the statement and read this of
Roosevelt's In the Independent:
my proposal is that the efficient
civilized nations-those that are eff
cient in war as well as in peace-shall
join in world league for the peace of
righteousness. They shall also
agree to act with the combined mill
idi otithblh vi vi tuGlI against
any recalcitrant nation"
In other words Roosevelts proposal
as to league of nations with a pool
ed military force is parallel with that
of the proposed Socialist program.
Take the second demand for no in
crease of existing ornaments; in
what is that an advance on the posi-
ton of the Gear of Russia when he
called the peace conference at The
Hague?
The Socialist who takes the posi-
ton that Socialists must hold them
selves ready to fight-a war of defense
must recall that every nation now at
war in Europe is to it's own mind
fighting a war of defense. Have they
not been told so by their respective
governing bodies? What is the de-
finition of war of defense? Even
Bebel found it difficult to say just
what should be considered a war of
uOiohoO' IL IL iCcuou any luluS W
make plain the twaddle that this talk
of war of offense and defense can
give rise to among Socialists the pres
ent war furnishes it, in which every
nation is crying, "The blame is yours"
Fear of Rising Tide of Socialism One
Cause of the War.
Just here let the Socialist take note
Of the fact that the French Yellow
Book, the official statement of the
French government, holds that one of
the principal causes of the present
war is the fear which the ruling class
in Prussia has of the growing strength
of democracy as represented by the
Socialists, and there Is little doubt
that a war could weaken and disor-
ganize this power of labor that men,
aced class rule within their own boun-
dries was welcome. Every country of
Europe fears the strength of the So
cialist movement in its own territory
The London Times states of Eng
lands ally, Russia, that the war has
saved Russia from the revolt of the
workers that was threatening.
The Socialist then who votes for
any armament at all will find himself
before long marching with this same
armament in a so-called war of de-
Tense which is in fact largely war
to destroy the working class move
ment feared more than any outside
enemy by the reactionary govern
ments.
1t is argued by others in defense of
the peace program as formulated that
we would lose the support of many if
we took straight stand for disarma-
ment and that we must therefore be
practical. That is a good question for
the politician to raise. | doubt its
truth but whether true or not it is not
the attitude that the Socialist party
can take on a great question that in
wolves the deepest principles of the
Marty