The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-05-22
STOCKHOLM CONFERENCE
THE TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORMATION BUREAU
BY Frederic J. Haskin. Director
Mnshington. ID. @.

Washington, D. c., May 22.-H
seems to be agreed among political
observers that the conference OF
European Socialists which has been
called by the Russian revolutionlsts
to meet al Stockholm is indicative of
a new force affecting International at
fairs 1t is stated by some that this
conference foreshadows rising OF tho
European proletariat to end the war
That. it appears, is rather more
than the Socialists themselves expect
of the meeting Socialists in this
country who have closely Followed the
development of the movement in Eu-
rope, say that the Stockholm confer
ence will probably not accomplish
much toward making peace because
none of the belligerentS Will be ade-
quately represented. The Russian So
cialists have issued a call for another
conference to be held in Russia for
the specific purpose of discussing
terms of peace, and this conference.
they say, provided the Russian rad
ical government holds together, may
have a very important influence III
world affairs
For the Russian Socialists moro
nearly hold a key to the European
war situation than any other one
force in the world. They are in abso-
lutte control of nation of $50, 100000
people, and upon the action of that
country depends to great extent the
course of the war in the immediate
future. If Russia strengthens its
lines against Germany, the allied
cause is strong while if Russia makes
a separate peace, an inestlmable az
vantage will be given Germany
Students of European socialism be-
lieve that at the conference in Russia
the revolutionists will issue an ulti-
matum to the Socialists of all the bel
ligerent countries. They will inform
their fellows of the fighting nations
that unless they all use their power to
bring about peace, the Russian revolu-
tionists will take the matter into their
own hands.
The Russian radical government is
now badly disorganiZed, however, and
it's ability to dictate peace terms Will
be conditioned by its success in reor-
ganiZing itself.
There is no doubt of the wonderful
impetus which has been given to Eu-
ropean socialism by the success OF
the Russian revolution. In aHtocratlc
Germany, Scheidemann, the leader OF
the Social Democrats, and Lebedour,
the leader of the Radical Socialists,
have risen in their places and threat
ened the government with revolution
unless it will renounce its claims TOT
indemnity and conquered territory
This is rather more in the way of de-
fiance to government than would be
German chancellor is openly catering
to the radicals, and the ''junkers or
landed aristocracy of Germany, VINO
are the most conservative element IN
the nation, are threatening TO Win
draw their support from the govern
ment unless it renounces its new pro-
greSSive tendencies.
In the German reichstag the Social
list party before the war was the
strongest one represented, having 13S
or a.
mains about the same but the Russian
revolution has inspired it with a new
solidarity and aggressivenesS. The
growth of socialism in Germany may
be gagged from the facts that IN 1871
the reichstag had two Socialist meN2-
bers. in 1881 it had thirteen Socialist
members, and in 1890 it had thirty
five.
In England the recent strikes are
attributed to the same unrest which
seems to be running thru the masses
of every European country, and the
radical thinkers who lead them In
France the Socialist organization has
greatly strengthened since the war and
is threatening the control of the cham
Der of deputies by the more conserva-
tive wing. In 1914 the Socialists and
Independent Socialists had 100 mem
bers in the chamber out of a total of
602.
the Socialists are a real force in the
belligerent countries, and that any CO.
operative movement of them, led by
the Socialist government of Russia,
would be a formidable thing. The OBJ
stacle to such a movement lies in the
fact that in all of the belligerent coun-
tries. patriotism has proved stronger
within the Socialist ranks than that
'internationalism" which is the spirit
that the Socialist would in theory sub
Stitute for devotion to national inter-
ests. Thus the French Socialists, al
tho demanding that their own govern
ment shall restate its aims in the pres
ent war, have announced that they will
not participate in any peace confer
ence with the German Socialists until
the latter have used their power to
withdraw the German claim to Alsace
and Lorraine. They will not therefore
participate in the Stockholm confer
ence as a national party. altho a mi
nority of them may send representa-
tiVes.
The Socialist parties of all the bel
hgerent countries are now divided into
majority and minority parties. and in
order to make clear this division, the
story of socialism in relation to the
war must be briefly summarized
All of the Socialist parties believed
in the desirability and feasibility of
universal peace World socialism be-
fore the war claimed thirty million
adherents, and eleven million voters
Many Socialists believed that the in
ternational strength of their parties
was great enough to prevent a world
war. But the world war was in full
swing before the Socialists could take
any steps, or even express an opinion
They discovered that, whatever they
hight have done in the way of Great
ing sentiment against war, they GER
tainly had no machinery wherewith
to prevent governments from making
war. They then met to decide wheth-
er they would support these warning
governments, and it was discovered
that the spirit of patriotism or nation
alism was stronger, even among So
cialists, than that of internationalism
In all of the belligerent countries, a
majority of the Socialists voted to