Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-03
SOCIALIST VIEW OF THE. WAR
H. W. hEndmnn Chairman CppI,,, t.
lines

~ the beginning OF this war YOU
allowed me, as one OF the Oldest social
Democrats living. TO appeal to Amer
lean Socialists OF all shades Of onirinn
not 10 ALLOW themselves 10 be ,nis!cd
IN regard 10 the facts OF the conflict
ny nF"-Gcrman misrcprcscntntions or
p'acc-at-anN- price propaganda The
unprecedented struggle has now been
gong on for nearly Il year Millions
OF men have been Killed or mutiInt.I
and hundreds OF millions sterling have
been wasted. Il is not surprising.
therefore. that wcll-mcanirig EFFORTS
should be made by humane people In
tn" h"l!iScGcnt as we'll as in the ncu-
trail countries TO Induce the combat
ants TO consider terms OF peace For
Il social Democrat 10 oppose such at
tcmpts 10 pa; Il stop to the Wholesale
carnage and money expenditure ap-
pears 10 some quite contrary TO So
''2!lSt doctrine and declaration
AGAINST the brotherhood OF man.
But this is not so. The s,u3cnfous
asht now being Tough, Is a :eht to
save Europe from long pared
cndcavor to put us all under tho noel
OF PrUssiani2cd Germany and hcr con-
icdcratcs, with the Intention OF oEtab-
fishing world vide c:npir" under the
same m!litarist domination. There can
now bc no doubt whatever about thar.
The men who control the policy OF
Germany, from the Kaiser and tho
King ot Bavaria downward. all openly
AVON II. The nation as a whole does
not deny II.
The pretense that the war was on
tered upon as a war OF defense is com
pietcly abandoned. now tina, ii mas
served its purpose OF giving the Of
fetal German and Social Democratic
party an excuse for turning chauv.n-
lists and supporting the bitteresr enc
niles Of Socialism. All Disguise mas
been thrown aside The policy Of con-
quest and empire is accepted as the
policy O: the Gcrmanic powers. with
the exception OF small and hitherto
unnnucntial section, whose protests.
fine as they are. produce no effect.
Gcrmnny's Motive AT The Huruc.
y seems clear. also. that the elab-
crate proposals which cmanatrd from
Germany. AT The Hague, Tor MITIGATING
the ferocity and reducing the horrors
Of war We're only suggested in order
TO weaken the resistance of nations
more humane and more honorable Than
herself For ii is now proved conclu-
sivcly that AT the very time when these
conventions were formulated by Ger
many ana accepted By her possible adj
vcrsarics. all the means dncludtnS
large supplies Of poisonous gnses)
were being made ready to infringe
them wholesale. Treaties likewise
which stand in the way OF the rea!i-
cation OF the full German program arc
denounced as being in no sense binding.
and declarations. however solemn. ar"
set aside as worthless. International
law has become mere Pigment. and
centuries old agreements never broken
in modern times, arc, 10 Germany, :.
vain thing.
All this means and can only mean
that no reliance whatever can DO placed
in Germany under her present rulers
If She and her friends win in this war
or If they succeed in obtaining a
draw. as the result OF this terrific
contest, no nation, great or small, near
or remote. will be safe from a fresh
attempt so soon rs the agGressor thinks
there is again a good chance II victory
IL is not an ordinary campaign upon