New-York tribune., 1917-10-21

the standard Of the international We
have followed the attempts Of Lieb-
knecht, Mehring and their comrades 20
uncover the eyes OF the German work
ers. We have seen. little by.
little. the minority, az the head OF
which are found the beloved veterans.s
Of al-democracy. Bernstein. kaut-,i
sky Haase, Ledebour. emerge from
their torpor. disow'n their earlier miss.
takes and disengage themselves from,
the deadly embrace of degrading dis
cipline: we have seen them break at
last with the majority. and in spite Of
the innumeraOle difficulties due to tne =
state Of war, censorship and repres-
sion. we have seen a current more anf
more favorable TO them setting in
among the masses. Nevertheless ,we'.
cannot forget that these men allowed.
themselves TO be got around and p1s.
upon; that they lacked penetration
and courage; that they did not utter
their protests and their grief when
Prussian militarsm fell without pity :
on the poor Belgian proletariat, which >
remains suspicious. passionately wait.
ing for more decisive action , 10 -
Reject Neutral PITY
As Haase and Ledebour were openly
appealing to the Russians to betray
the western democracies and to maSs
a separate peace with the Kaiser Inv
speeches made. only last summer tl9lD y
from the tribune Of the Reichstag, We
can see how far from their minds iSe
the thought Of effective resistance to 0
the Kaiser at home. Indeed, this mi'''e
nority has pledged itself, no matter
what the Kaiser does about peace terms 3
20 confne itself TO harmless parlis'.
mentary obstruction to the end Of the
war.
The Belgans also give their grounds
for rejecting the pr0hered intervention
of so-called neutral Socialists uuder
German influence. They recall the-e
scandalOus statement OF Stauhihg' >
which nearly cost him MS seat IN lh. {.
Danish Cabinet, calling for the oyer-s
order that Germany might be able ta-
make a separate peace with kussIas
anarchist Socialists (Stauning hlmseEt
being stanch ant-anafchlst, Ike M.
! German Socialist friendsl. The Bel'-
gian party also recalls that even tnclr
Friends. like Brantng, Of Sweden have !.
placed the immediate need OF tntit
little countries for peace above the
welfare and safety o. Europe, perma
nent peace and the existence OF other
small nations. It continues; 80.
Scandina,ians Under Suspicion
."But there we're still other reasons
why the Belgian party should refuse 2
10 lend itself 70 attempts at rapproche-y
} npnt coming from one or other eom'
pacent neutral. Certainly the bel1y
gian workmen are not unaware OF tha-3
arden. and active sympathy which they'
enjoy in most sections OF the lnterna'
tioral: but they do not forget, all the
same. the attitude Of certain so-called
'neutrals': they DO not forget that the
Swiss Greulich supported Nathans
move with regard TO the Italian Social
lists TO encourage them with the ouer
of 100000 francs which. indeed, theJ
refused with contempt in their prop
acanda against tho war; they do not
forget the ecaudalous journey Of GER.
taip Scandinavian Socialists through
Belgium unCer the pgis Of the occupy
ING power. carefully avoiding obtaln-
ing information from the Belgian SO
cialists with the obvious view Of de-
ceiying international public opinioni
they have still present IN their mems
Org the deplorable example OF Grimm,
who employed the worst practices o.
' anil nrr
get the Russian reyolutonarics to
treat with Prussian autocrscy and
militarism, Finally. they. have just
seen with amazemeHt Trolstra. presly.
dent OF the Dutch Conn
mittee. receive the pretended repre-
sentatiyes OF the pretended Flemish So -
cialists. people without the slightest
mandate or authority. and discuss with ~
them with a seriousness bordering on
buHoonery. Could anything nore be
required 10 make the moyes Of these
ncutrals at least open 20 suspicion ?"
And finally these heroic Belgians----
suffering more than any other people
from the .prolorgation Of the wsr-IS
make a ringing and affecting appeal !.
against premature peace. an appeal !.
that should, must. and will become the /.
rallying cry Of all Socialists who are
t uuHllinE 70 atkuON ieoSc tHe oNsliotu-
ship either Of the Kaiser or Of the
German Socialists.
Premature Peace Dangerous
AS for the pacifst movement Of So
cialists Of other countries, the Belgian
Labor party considers an agitations II
favor Of a premature peace TO be dan
gerous
1--WE see with sorrow IN France. IN
Italy and in England, wel.tried Socias,,
Is, comrades giving themselves no 80
/ these Deace manoeuvres and we cannot