Denver labor bulletin., 1917-09-01
JOHN SPARGO EXPOSES PRO-GERMAN
CRY OF mo INDENNITIES," WHICH
"PACIFISTS' ARE USING AS A BLIND
Socialist Party Leader Declares That Germany Must
Be Allowed Escape Payment For Her Crimes
Against Innocent Neutras, the Staying of De
Women Children.

difference of meaning. The same
people use both forms, according as
it suits their purpose; they are ST.
lent upon the same points and they
use the same German-made argu-
ments.
Two years before the Russian
Council of Workmen's and Soldiers
Deputies came into existence the
National Committee of the Socialist
Party of America adopted the simple
formula mo indemnities" 1t is
worth while remembering that this
was adopted at a time when ten
months of warfare had shown that
it was impossible for Germany to at
tain her ends, when the Majority So
sanctions, were urging that peace on
the basis of the status quo ante was
desirable.
Paradoxical as it may seem. the
demand of the Russian Council of
Workmen's and Soldiers Deputies
merits the full support of the work
ers of this country, and of all for
ward looking men and women, while
that of the leaders of the American
Socialist party is utterly repugnant
to the moral sense of all intelligent
believers in intelligent democracy
Although the Majority Socialists
VI AiS SllllSN III harmony
with their colleagues, the Majority
Socialists of Germany use the same
formula as the Russian democratic
leaders they mean something quite
different.
Meaning of Indemnity
The term ''indemnities" has always
been understood to mean the imposi-
ton of heavy financial obligations
upon defeated nations by their con-
querors, as means of further sub
jecting the vanquished nation and
making its subjects pay the victor
ious nation a large part of its war
costs. Such was the indemnity i'm
posed upon France at the end of the
Franco-Prussian war in 1871.
When the term ''indemnities" is
thus sharply defined every sincere be-
liever in social democracy will gladly
subscribe to the demand that there
shall be no indemnities in the peace
terms of the allied nations. In his
memorable address TO congress on
April ,, 1917, President Wilson proud
ly declared: I'VE have no selfish ends
to serve. We seek no in
IDENTITIES for ourselves, no material
for the sacrifices we
shall freely make" We are already
pledged to the principle of mo in
ueiillllNlSS, us the term is ordinarily
understood.
This is something quite different
from reparation by aggressive nations
for damage done to innocent and neu-
trail nations. Payment by such agrees
sive nations to their victims for dam
age done by the violation of their SOW
ereignty, damage to their territory
and destruction of the property and
lives of their citizens, is very diff
ferent thing. The same moral law
which condemns the imposition of
crushing indemnities upon vanquished
nations by greedy conquerors, requires
that all possible reparation of dam
ages inflicted upon innocent victims
shall be made by the aggressors, who
ever they may be.
Russians Understand.
The leaders of the Russian democ-
racy clearly understood this they
are too sincere and genuine in their
to be capable of misunder-
standing it. They made it quite clear
that they did not mean their demand
that there be mo indemnities" to pre-
vent the payment Of material compen-
sation to Belgium, for example, for the
of her sovereignty, the dam
age done to her territory, the destruc-
tion of the lives and the property Of
her nationals, the seizure Of her food
stuffs and the robbery Of her people
(csatinssA sa raGs FssrJ