The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1915-08-12
Workers Mast Gust
Kaiser, is.View
of Bohn
SPEAKER ASSERTS PARTY
MOVEMENT IN GERMANY rs
NOT REVOLUTIONARY-AU-
DIENCE ASKS NUMEROUS
QUESTIONS.

Declaring the Socialist movement of
Germany was not u revolutionary
movement. and that, In fact, II could
not be u revolutionary Socialist move
ment so long as II permitted the Kai.
ser and the titled arlstocracy to con.
tinue their rule. Frank Bohn, in IA re.
cent address in New York. told OF
some of his experiences in Germany
and Austria recently. He addressed
IA fair-sized audience in the Lenox
Open Air Gardens, at Lexon avenue
and 10th street, under the direction of
the Socialist Suffrage Campaign Com.
mittee.
Bohn's criticism of the European So
cialists attitude toward war was di'
rected mainly against Germany and
Austria, the only two countries he
spoke of visiting and his structures did
not meet with the unanimous favor OF
his audience He based his views up.
on the statement that there had been
an error committed in the history OF
Germany, in that, when other countries
had ousted their royalty, Germany con-
tinued to keep it's crowned heads. The
Germans bow to the Kaiser and his
clique, he declared, and until the Ger.
cracy, no revolutionary Socialist move.
ment is possible.
Says Vote Is valueIess.
The Reichstag, he declared, was
powerless and 100000 vote cast by
Socialists had no other value than a
register of noses. The laws are made
by the Bundesrath, a body of fifty-five
men appointed by the rulers. With
such ruling body, the people of Ger
many had no power to prevent war.
He believed it would have been
much more effective if 10000 men and
women had gone upon the streets and
openly declared that they laughed at
militarism, that they would spit upon
the uniform and medals and that they
would fight against war. If the 10000
had declared hang us all; boil us all
in olive will still oppose you," there
would have been no war.
Geographical divisions are respon-
sible for the psychology of people,
continued Bohn. "The German nation
is surrounded on all sides by other ma.
tions; it's empire is composed of many
small kingdoms England is an island.
united people. France is PENN
sula, republic, and free from harass-
ing influences about it. The United
States has broad ocean on each
side"
1t was natural, Bohn contended, that
land such as Germany should have a
different psychology than that of 9TH
er peoples.
when, in 1848, there was a move
ment afoot for the purpose of further
ing the idea of democracy, the Ger
man revolutionists found themselves
]
too small to cope with the power of
the landowning class" he went on.
THE peasants were not the people to
found republic and the champions of
democracy failed in their efforts. The
western and southern portions of Ger
many were adherents to the cause, he
said, but feudal Prussia stifled the
movement through it's military power.
In other lands, however, the merchants
and shop owners who were independ-
ent of the feudal barons, furthered the
cause of democracy.
The Setbacks In Germany.
Following the effort in Germany,
about 100000 Germans came to
America. Again in the sos another
100000 left for this country, follow
ing enforcement of the Exception
Laws, stripping Germany of 100000
political democrats and Social Demo
Gratis AS result, the German move
ment is now reform organization,
and is not revolutionary. A change
in government means a change in the
minds Of the people, and Germany has
made no such change.
"In the movement of 49," said the
speaker, "the five Socialists in the
Reichstag were thrown into prison for
declaring that they represented the
working men of France, England,
Russia and other countries, as we'll
as those of Germany. Today, the So
cialists are going to the front and
| fighting the battles of the ruling
classes"
An armed revolution is the only
method which will wipe out the Ger
man aristocracy, Bohn argued. Eng
land stands 500 years ahead of Ger
many in the march toward democracy
and France stood more than a century
ahead, he commended.
Germany will not march in step
with other nations until it's patriotism,