New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-05-19
forward to this campaign with
considerable confidence.

forward to this campaign with
considerable confidence.
That the "revisionist tendency"
is more marked among the leaders
than among the rank and file.
In sum, there is every prospect
that the Socialists will revise
their position and refrain from
active opposition to the present
war; there is little prospect that
they will in the near future be-
come weaker as an independent
political factor.
Now your orthodox Socialist is
not like the simple patriot Of DID,
Arnold Won Winkelried, of whom it
is written:
"lNate qcoy for liberty" he cried;
MAKE aoay for liberty" and died.
He might make way for liberty,
but he hates like mischief to die so
long as anybody can make him be-
lieve it is in the interest of "bour-
geois capitalism" He broods over
many things that seem trivial to the
single hearted loyalist who seeks
only to serve his country in it's hour
of supreme need.
! Your orthodox Socialist ponders
over secret treaties; estimates the
effect of the Italian Irredentist move
ment on the Zimmerwald faction of
the German Independent Socialists;
transmits with fervor the letter writ
ten by the consul at such-and-suc
a town in Finland to his cousin in
Baltimore; broods over the wrongs
committed against Kerensky; scru-
tinizes Lloyd Georges speeches to
discover a contrast with Clemen-
ccau's; thirsts for inside information
frcm Washington to confirm his sus-
picions OR his hopes concerning Mr..
Wilson's intentions. This brooding
tendency in the Socialist is simply
incurable.
Tangled Skeins of
Fact and Vision
This explains how Socialists car
quarrel so much and why nothing ir
the world ever quite suits them. But
it also goes far toward explaining
the various factions and shades oil
opinion within the party, and gives
a hint to the practical politician as
to how they may be detached from
the parent stock.
Several factors contribute to thu
attitude Of every Socialist toward tn,
present war. These might be listet
under the general heads of Doctrine
Russia and Visions.
Socialist doctrine has, to the aver
age loyal party member, an almos
religious sanctity. One Of the frs
duties is to keep the gospel accord
ing to st. Marx pure and undefiled
And it is written in this gospel tina
wars are made by capitalist govern
ments.
Brooding on so many subjects
these Socialists are hard to con
vince. But they may be classifie,
generally by the topics on whic]
they chiefly brood, and these CORE
spond generally to their nationa
extraction. Figures are not cas-,
to obtain, but an estimate may b
made.
Foreign Strength
In the Party
According to last years figure
$4,000 enrolled Socialists, or abou
a third of the party, were organize
in foreign language branches. O
these 1886 were Finnish, $3.50 wer
German and 3.214 were Jewish. TIL
remainder were chiefly Slavic. TIL
ratio of s to 30, or 20 per cent
probably represents somewhat les
than the proportion of Germans t
other nationalities in the member
ship at large. There are no data 70
determining the exact proportion Q
races. But those members who ar
purely German in blood would com
to considerably less than half an
would probably be exceeded in mum
Der by the Jews.
But this Socialist strength, what
lever it may aggregate, has becom