New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-26
Labor Will Demand Better
Working Conditions and
Wages, Leader Says
.INERNATIONALISM
MAY BE REVIVED
Henry Mayors Hyndman,
at Is, BIameS Germans
for Betrayal"

London. Feb. 10. - international So
cialism, though broken down by the
war, will be revived, and there Will
come day when British and German
socialists will again sit at the table
together, says Henry Mayors Hyndman,
the seventy-fve-year-old leader OF the
Social Democratic party in England
At his unpretentious home in st.
James Park, within stones throw OF
Buckingham Palace, in study hanked
by piles of books and newspapers
mostly American, the aged philosopher
discussed some Of the wars efectS
upon socialism. He is now engaged IN
reorganizing the Social Democratic
party in England.
1.-THE wars immediate effect upon
socialism is not apparent ne sala'
"but one thing is certain as sunrise
and that is that the war has taught the
workers more than they could have
learned in a score of years Of peace
The war has made them think pollt-
ieally. When the soldiers come back
home they will not be willing to go oacK
to the hopeless chaos. They Will de-
nand better working conditions. we
see a great strengthening Of social de-
rnocracy as result Of the war.
Eirht-Hour Law an Advance
Gwen in America - individualistic
America-this insistence on democracy
is being felt more and more. This was
shown in the passage OF the elght.nour
law for railroad employees IL Is an
important economic advance 'AAV mas
been aided by the state
What has come to pass IN the
United States by peaceful means mas
onlv come 10 US through war. / mean
The gradual taking over Of the ran
roads and public utilities. When the
var broke out the capitalist system
showed itself incapable OF handing the
community under circumstances "hlch
demanded great and continuous ma
tional effort. SO the state stepped III
and took the railroads and mas since
been communicating and controlling
nearly everything.
"Tbe result is that to-day we have a
system Of state socialism. when, OF
course. is not true socialism. Cnaer
this system the worker Is not RECEIVING
his full return. It. is competition pc
low and state monopoly above. buV
at least we have near approach 10
one OF the fundamentals OF socialism
public ownership of public utilltles-
and / see no reason why II snouldh
he continued after the. war Is over
The only argument against u from a
socialists standpoint IL that II leaVes
society encountered with the parasites
of bureaucracy. and consequently is a
most extravagant and wasteful way OF
running national industry
German Socialists Blamed
Mr.. Hyndman was told that the ques-
ton has often been asked as to why
international socialism failed to pre-
vent the war.
am have to blame that also on the
Germans" he said. "lf international
socialism had any chance at all TO
prevent this terrible slaughter IT lost
il when the social democrats OF Ger
many BETRAYED their socialist brethren
the world over by voting for the war
credits in the Reichstag.
"1he English socialists remembered
this at the January labor conference
in Manchester, when they voted against
an international socialist conference TO
take place at the same time as the
peace conference
"Does the action Of the English So
cialists mean the end Of International
ism >" Mr.. Hyndmsn was asked.
"By no means he replied. at will
take some time before we can sit down
10 the table with the Germans, but we
will do it, and then will see a tremen-
dous revival Of true social democracy.
Capitalism was international, the
nCreyed interests were international
hence the workers must fight for their
interests internationally
Asked if he saw signs OF industrial
unrest in England after peace comes,
the speaker said he would not be sur
prised if there was great upheavsl.
"The working people" he added
"have borne the brunt Of this terrible
struggle both on the field Of battle and
ir the workshops. They will demand a
minimum wage based on the abso Lutte
cost of life. They will be recognized
a. they deserve to be, not only in Eng
land but in Germany and all other
GohtiuC countries