Evening star., 1917-05-27
THE STOCKHOLM
CONFERENCE.
By Frederic ]. Haskin.

fairs 1t is stated by some that this
conference foreshadows a rising OF the
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 Europe say that
the Stockholm conference will probably
not accomplish much toward making
peace, because none of the belligerents
will be adequately represented. The
Russian socialists have issued a call Tor
another conference to be held in Rus
sia for the specific purpose of discuss
Ing terms of peace. and this confer
ence. they say, provided the Russian
radical government holds together, may
have very important influence in
world affairs.
For the Russian socialists more
nearly hold a key to the European war
situation than any other one force in
the world. They are in absolute con-
troll of a nation of 1s0.000.000 people.
and upon the action of that country
depends to a great extent the course
of the war in the immediate future. II
Russia strengthens its lines against
Germany the allied case is strong, while
II Russia makes a separate peace an
inestimable advantage will be given to
Germany.
Students of European socialism be-
Heve that at the conference in Russia
the revolutionists will issue an ulti-
matum to the socialists of all the bel
1igerent 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
its ability to dictate peace terms will
be conditioned by its success in reor-
ganizins itself.
There is no doubt of the wonderful
impetus which has been given to Euro
pean socialism by the success of the
Russian revolution. In autocratic Ger
many, Scheidemann, the leader OF the
social democrats. and Lebedour, the
leader of the radical socialists, have
risen in their places and threatened the
government with revolution unless it
will renounce it's claims for indemnity
more in the way of defiance to govern
ment than would be tolerated in the
United States. The German chancellor
is openly catering to the radicals, and
the junkers. or landed aristocracy of
Germany. who are the most conserva-
tive element in the nation, are threat
ening to withdraw their support from
the government unless it renounces its
new progressive tendencies.
In the German reichstag the social
list party before the war was the
Growth of Socialism T'1opgess epT E sented' q =
in Germany Rapid. hay having sg7 lbs IS &C. Of
bers. It's strength remains about the
same, but the Russian revolution has
inspired 1t with a new solidarity and
aggressiveness. The growth of social
ism in Germany may be gauged from
two socialist members. in 1881 it had
thirteen socialist members and in 1890
1t had thirty-five.
In England the recent strikes are at
IriDuted TO the same unrest which
seems to be running through 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 conserya-
tive wing. In 1914 the socialists and
independent socialists had 130 members
in the chamber out of total of 602.
1t is evident from these facts that
the socialists are a real force in the
belligerent countries, and that any CO.
operative movement of them, led by
tne socialist government of Russia,
would be formidable thing. The OBJ
stacie 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
h.
stitute for devotion to national inter-
ests- Thus. the French socialists. al
though demanding that their own gov
ernment shall restate it's aims in the
present war. have announced that they
VIII not participate in ony peace con.
ference with the German socialists nm
III the latter have used their power to
withdraw the German claim to AIsace
and Lorraine. They will not. therefore.
participate in the Stockholm confer
ence as national party, although a
minority of them may send representa-
tives.
The socialist parties of all the bel
mgesen. 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.
"a All OF the socialist parties believed in
the desirabliity and feasibility of uni
Lacked the Machinery WosId yseza5 1oe;ss: psass:
to Avert World War ism ism before +, ,s the !
so.ooo.ooo adherents and II en oon eoo
voters Many socialists believed that
the international strength of their
parties was great enough to prevent a
word war But the world war was in
tah tu,i swing before the socialists could
take any steps. or even express an opin-
1on They discovered that, whatever
they might have done in the way Of
creating sentiment against war they
certainly had no machinery wherewith
to prevent governments from making
war. They then met to decide whether
they would support these warning
governments. and it was discovered
that the spirit of patriotism, or nation
afsm, was stronger, even among so
cialists. than that of internationalism
In all of the belligerent countries. a
majority of the socialists voted to sun
port their governments, while in each
of them small minority parties stood
out against the war. Thus in GERMANY
the socialists announced that they
would support their government be-
cause Germany was fighting for mar
kets for her goods. and labor cannot
exist without markets. The French
socialists backed their governments
claim to Alsace and Lorraine. The in
ternational socialist idea appeared TO
be an exploded myth.
But the war went on the socialists
began to perceive that out of the yery
catac}ysm they had sought to avert
were emerging certain benefits to
their cause. Thus socialists have con-
tended for government control of the
means of production in order to prevent
the accumulation of private wealth.
And in nearly all of the belliserent
countries. including now the United
States, the governments have been
forced to assume an increased control
over the production of foods and ma :