The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-02-22

America as the birthday OF the found,
er Of the worlds greatest republic,
will also be observed by Germans
and socialists everywhere as the 18th
anniversary Of the birth OF Ferdinand
August Bebel. The great leader OF
the German Social Democracy died at
Zurich in August, 1913. and a few
months later Jean Jaures, the able
chief of French socialism, was as.
sa~ssinated. Thus on the even OF the
most gigantic struggle Of nations in
all history the socialists of Europe
were deprived of their most iniuen'
tial chiefs, and the dream Of brother.
hood and solidarity which had been
fostered by Bebel and Jaures was
rudely shattered.
Although a preacher Of peace, Herr
Bebel believed that II would come
only after q terrible war, and he pre-,
dicted years before. his death, that
this conflict would bring about a
grouping Of the nations very much
like what has since come to pass.
1.-THE German fleet" said Bebel. in
discussing the possibilities OF war,
twill almost certainly be destroyed by
the English fleet that Is certain to be
its superiority In force. and Germany
will lose all her colonies almost imme.
diately after the declaration Of hostili.
ties.
Should Japan Join her forces with
the enemies OF Germany. and this
would be inevitable II Germany fights
England, then all the German colonies
In the Far East will be irretrieyahIy
lost, despite all the superhurnan sacri.
fees involved in acquiring them.
"But the most fatal loss Of such a
war would be the destruction OF the
German merchant marine. and the
capture by England Of the worlds
markets.
"a war with France and Russia, and
with England as their ally. would also
mean the complete destruction Of Ger.
many.
Victories in the war Of the future
will not come TO German arms as cas-
fly as the capitalist newspapers and
school rooms would lead us to believe.
The superiority over the enemy the
Germans possessed In 1870 is absolute.
ly impossible nowadays.
"But this Is but one side OF the
medal. The other side OF the eco
nomical situation OF the people during
the duration Of the war.
1.-THE war will stop commerce and
industry. It will stop the export sys-
lem OF Germany and under the present
economic system. Germany. robbed
OF her export trade. cannot exist.
zone of the results Of this will be
acute unemployment. Besides, theHim-
port Of goods into Germany will cease
and Germany cannot exist without i'm.
ports. The foodstuffs will rise greatly
In price, and poverty and misery will
reign throughout the land"
It was a black picture which Bebel
painted of the possibilities which war
would hold for the German people.
The moral OF his argument Of course,
was that the H~ohhenzollern monarchy
and empire be overthrow and a So
cial democratic republic be establish
ed. in which militarism would have
no part.
Bebel, the doughty, fiery old war
rior who made war on war, whichke
denounced az one Of the courses IN
fiicted upon humanity by the Capital
list system" was largely responsible
for the great growth OF the German
social democracy. ! He shared the per-
secution and Imprisonment inflicted
upon his comrades. Marx and Lieb.
knecht, and, like them, was forced to
seek refuge In England. He lived to
see the day when he was one OF the
most powerful men Of the empire,
whom the government feared to throw
into prison.
Bebel was born in Cologne, OF hum
BILE parents, and spent his childhood
In Rhenish Prussia. He attended
school only two years, and at four:
teen was apprenticed to q tuner. In
that capacity he! travelled through Aus.
tria and South Germany. II, his youth
he was an opponent Of socialistic ideas
but he soon changed his views and
about half a century ago he became
one Of the most earnest and infiuen.
tial Of the propagandists OF the Marx.
ian creed.
Like all OF the Tenton socialists Of,
that period. he soon found himself In
jail. convicted OF spreading opinions
dangerous 70 the state When the
Imperial parliament was formed IN
1871 Bebel was elected . member Of
the Reichstag. aud. except for tho time