The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-10-17
fighting. They, nevertheless. were
highly impatient and openly ridiculed

fighting. They, nevertheless, were
highly impatient and openly ridiculed
my seasoned advice. With one ac-
cord they informed me that under
good leadership at Berlin they could
put Kie1 Canal out of use inside of
three hours, reduce Williamshaven
and Cuxhaven. Our captain comrade
was sure that during these critical en-
gagements of a civil war neither the
British public nor the French public
would permit their navies to attack
our shores, and he was certain that
a man of such high ideals as the
President of America would not con-
sent to an attack being made by the
naval forces of our Immediate neigh
bors.
I informed them that in whatever
action we, might undertake, we must
never consider what England, or
France or America might do or might
not do, that it was our first and only
/ duty to see that our government was
decisively defeated by us, otherwise
4 the proletariat of Germany would be-
come the sure slaves of our capital
! lists -mi1itarist rulers. And I was more
vehement in advising them against
looking or hoping for any assistance
from our parliamentarian politicians.
IL Informed them that these rarlia
mentarians were nothing but dishon-
i est, decefving, and oowardly talka-
ttfves. pointed out to them that
| during the early weeks of the war
these unprinctpled politicians stood
/ by their Kaiser, and voted for the
lwar credit. I also pointed out to
i them that the present leaders of the
Minority Socialists, now convinced
that German peace is impossible,
are making terrible attempts to re-
gain lost confidence and reputation in
1.-THE eyes of International Socialism.
At this. point one Of our younger
naval comrades smiled and informed
us that several naval officers had
formed themselves into a deputarion,
visited the foremost leaders of the
Minority Socialists and found them
i strongly opposed to all violent acts.
Our conference ended with my max
ing a strong appeal not to do any
thing. prenature1y. But they stated
that any minute something might
happen and a serious uprising would
burst out. They said that the: rank
ing officers of the navy were more
apprehensive of their lives at the
hands of the muttnous crew than of
what the authorities might do to
them. They feared that in case of a
!. i
muti.y, the officers would suffer the
4 most as naturally the crew would first
!. kill them indiscriminate1y, thinking
that they were on the side of the GOV
eminent.
When they left us it was decided
that propaganda work should be
given a chance for at least another
month.
:. On July we received a message
from sKiel that the sailors and ma
rines had become so unruly that daily
frictions between them and their Of
. ficers were taking lace. Our Kiel
Icommittee requested that we COM
$ municate at once with our Zwier-
strasse headquarters and ask for
more workers and propaganda pam
phlets.s On the third day. Of July,
: dispatched a messenger to Zurich, en-
: trusting him with the Kie1 ge
On July z a large number of our
' comrades at Berlin held a big patri-
otto meeting appealing to women te
: volunteer as nurses at Williamshaven
Z ICuxhayen and Kiel. This patriotic
Z meeting was held under the auspices
Of men whose Social Democratic at.
9 filiation was secret. 525 women vol
unteered and every one of these WON,
, en- were Social Democrats. 1t can
? lbe easily understood that the patrio
I ltic meeting called for volunteer
nurses was only a cover to- organize
2 our women comrades into an efficjen
revolutionary union. Needless to sa,
that the elements In our capital, wht
= had in the early days of the war gon,
wild with patriotic enthusiasm, dit
not offer their young sisters and
: daughters for such a work.
Concluded Tomorrowl