Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-02-27
Breach Between Two Fac.
tions of Socialist Party
Is Widencd.
CLAIM CAPITALISTS
ALONE MAKE MONEY
Predict Violent and Abrupt
Action as Soon as War
Is Ended.

] correspondence OF the Ahsoclhtcu fTesbD
DARIS, Feb. 5-The breach between
L the revolutionary faction and the
less violent element of the socialist
party in France is likely to be
widened by contentious over labor
conditions during the war. The sac
| red union" of all parties. helped by
| the censor, has kept the strife under
/ cover since the beginning of hostil-
tiles. but there are many signs now
/ that the fire Is only smoudering.
\. Merrheim, secretary OF the Metal
| Worker union and one of the mill
| tauts of the revolutionary party. and
| A. Bourdoron, another leader of tho
| Confederation General de Travail
! general labor federation) attended
| the International socialist conference
ut Zimmerwald, Switzerland. in Sep
| tember last, and signed the joint
manifesto of the French and German
delegates. That declaration attributed
/ to the governments of all the nations
at war responsible for the war; it also
averred that the sacred union" de-
| clared in all the belligerent countries
| profited only the capitalist regime.
"Suspcctcd' Members.
As the result of their participation
| in the Ximmorwald conference. Com
rades Merrhem and Bourheron were
uttliItu SuSDt'ltu ny tit SttliolN
of the socialist party of the depart
, ment of Seine, and all members were
| invited to keep aloof for them"
80 long as the war lasts, or so
| long as martial law is maintained we
can do nothing said Merrheim to
! the Associated Press, but as soon as
| the war Is over there will he n render
! ing of accounts; our action then may
| be very abrupt and violent"
! Mcrrhpim and his comrades of the
/ General Federation of Labor repudi-
ate utterly the socialist politicians
deputies and ministers; they are ad.
vocates of direct action" void of the
routine of politics. The Metal Work.
| crs union. however maintained re-
lations with the socialist minister OF
munitions. Albert Thomas. until the
! last of May, when they sent him an
| utimatum declaring that If certain
conditions which they regarded as
abuses In the muntion factories were
not abolished in two months from that
! date, the secretary should cease re-
| latlons with him on that subject.
Want the Money.
Merrheim declares that the work.
ers are not getting their share OF
the three hundred and sixty million
dollars the government is distributing
monthly in France.
He exhibited II letter from a me-
chanic earning SIS centimes on cents)
an hour making shells. who COM
| planned that BARRIERS, saloon keepers,
painters and masons assigned through,
! political influence to the same work
made from | franc go cents) to |
franc 20 centimes GA cents) an hour.
, The average wages of lathe workers
| before the war was | franc 20 CEN
times an hour.
"Isoated cases OF discrimination
always have and always will exist"
| said one of the most important steel
manufacturers in France. exposing
| the other side of the question; "spe-
cial circumstances modify conditions;
| during the war they have favored the
! steel worker more than the steel man
ufacturer. There was no basis for the
| value of the labor required to make
shells in most mills; some mechanics
! in consequence are earning so francs
! 90 dollars) a day at simple lathe
work. Scarcity of skilled labor gave
IA chance to unskilled men to become
mechanics all at once, working ma
chine tools and earning the wages Of
| skilled labor. The fantastic wages
are the exception, but all together
workmen, skilled and unskilled, are
getting more money per day and per
man than before the war
All Lose Money.
1T is quite as erroneous to assume
that the manufacturers profits arc
fabulous as that the workmen's gains
are less he declared. There are
few iron and steel industries that
haven't been seriously Handicapped by
the German occupation of the iron
country in the valley of the Briey.
! Moreover concerns manufacturing i'm
duStrial products before the war took
contracts for ammunition at fair prices
only to lose money through lack Of
experience.
THE big profits made out of tho
war" this authority declares, ARE not
in munitions but in provisions, and
other supplies to the commissary de-
partment.
Everything considered, the steel
! industry viii be far worse off after
than before the war, their position
relatively will be less satisfactory than
that of the steel workers.
Little Importance is given gener-
! ally to the reVolutionists. Their num-
bers are not formidable and the gen.
eral impression is that industrial and
commercial activity will be so great
after the war as to emerge the political
agitator."