New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-17
German Socialists Convinced
That Revolt Now Is Impossible
Only Hope of Uprooting Kascrism Seen in Defeat OF
Armics-Triumph Would Menace Newly Won
Liberty of Russians
By WILLIAM ENGLISH WALLlNC
Article III

At the present moment the German
Socialists arc so busy trying to csjole
the Russians into accepting the Ger
man peace terms that they are giving
little thought to the prospects of revo-
luton in their own country. But dur
ing several weeks after the great over
turn in Russia they were engaged in
wholesale and radical hesrt-searching.
For a generation before the war they
had attacked their government as being
"the backbone of reaction in Europe"
With the war these attacks had ceased,
for the most part voluntarily. At the
time of the upheaval in Petrograd they
began again, and we read such out
pourings of truth as the following,
which VIC take from the leading So
cialist organ of South Germany, the
comparatively conservative Munich
POST:
1.-THE world has become quite another
place through Russia's going over to
democracy and the entry Of the United
States into the lists against US. Ger
many now stands against an alliance
Of world democracy, and the people OF
the world are persuaded, and are daily
becoming more convinced, that the
triumph Of freedom in the world is
impossible as long as Germany remains
what she is"
But If Germany is not TO remain
what she Isl" how is the stupendous
change to be brought about? Certainly
those reforms proposed by the Reicns-
tag committee, now presided over By
the Socialist, Scheidemann, would not
result in uprooting kaisersm IN
generation-unless the present rate OF
progress is accelerated, either by IN
ternal disturbances or military deleat'
Now. the German Socialists them
selves are convinced that revolution
for the present is impossible. 1t Is
the expressed feeling even of the most
ardent revolutionists that the time has
not yet arrived. So hopeless are they
that shortly before the Russian coun-
ellis late extraordinary peace move, the
New York "Volkszeitung," the daily
organ of the German Socialists OF
America did not see how the Russian
revolution could have any other result
than to intensity the war OF the Rus
sian democracy against this unregen-
crate Germany.
A German Socialist View
Here are some of the most Significant
Messages OF this important editorial:
ave fear very much that the situa-
tion mas become such that the Russian
working people will find 1t to their
interest to come out not for a deciara-
tion Of peace but for an intensiilcatlon
90 tha war 1t is clear that
thew must be ready at any price 10
make their democratic victories secure
and defend themselves against return
of the old conditions. II, /.
"On the German side, it Will be
argued that Germany, after the war
will be a different, a freer and more
democratic Germany. and that there
fore The democratic institutions OF the
Russian revolution will have 1othing
TO fear from it.
put this is true only on certain very
definite conditions. A defeated Ger
many or even Germany with an m
decisive war behind it will certainty
he forced to reorganize its internsl
conditions Economically. laying aside
the possibility Of a revolutionary, up
beaval in the empire. 1t would De
otherwise with a Germany that left the
war as a victor.
"a victorious Prussian-German gov
eminent would rest as now, not upon
democratic institutions, but upon the
Iunkers. The interest of the Prussian
Junkers is closely tied to the MAIN
tenance of czarism. and II Germany
Is victorious these Junkers would move
heaven and earth TO set aside those
democratic institutions that revolution
srv Russia has established and 10 re-
store the old state OF affairs IN the
1T is not unlikely that this view
of the situation will lead to serious IN
ternal conflicts among the Russian
working people. Their low, OF peace
will be overcome by consideration OF
the dangers that threaten their revo-
and everything