The Washington herald., 1918-02-03

was better than going into the West
to be killed.
At the outset OF the war the So
cialist party. with the exception of
Liebknecht and q small group about
him, was unitedly with the Kaiser In
the war. In fact, ali Germany was
united In a plan OF conquest
After three years OF war, however,
split developed in the Socialist
party.
Socialist Opposition.
The majority party under schiede-
mann continued to support the Kai-
ser's program as before. A small
group known as the minority, how
ever, developed opposition to a pro-
gram OF indemnities and annexations.
These two groups have now united In
Germany and are demanding peace.
They brought about a great strike In
the empire. affecting even munition
plants.
There may be no direct connec-
tion between the conservative So
cialist party OF Germany and the
radical Industrial Workers Of the
World OF Russia, but undoubtedly
the German movement is born Of
Inspiration at seeing what has been
done in Russia
Coupled with the attitude of the
Austrian government toward peace,
events in Russia have undoubtedly
put a courage into the Socialists Of
Germany heretofore undreamed Of.
During three years of the war the
Scheidemann Socialists have never
tired Of doing evil deeds for their
Kaiser. Committed to the Kaiser's
I plan Of world conquest themselves,
| they nevertheless preached inter-
| nationalism and peace to the Social
| lists of other nations. They urged
! union at home and dissension
abroad. Their attitude was as plain
as IL they had said in so many
words to the Socialists of other
lands:
we will keep on fighting for the
Kaiser. But you keep out of the
war. Cripple your government.
Make your country helpless before
Germany. Help the German autoc-
racy to win the fight against dem
| ocracy."
And the saddest page in the his
tory of American Socialism bears
the record of how some of the lead
| ers Of the party in this country per-
mitted themselves to be used to fur
ther the ends of the Kaisers So
cialists.
The masters OF Germany also ap-
preciate the possibility of the wonder
full industrial and commercial ma
chine that has grown out of the war
| And it Is not likely that they will sur
render II to the workers without a
| struggle.
Profits of Krupps.
II revolution comes in Germany,
soldiers must be on the side of the
| revolutionists. Even so, 1t is likely
that a considerable part Of the army
would continue to be loyal to the
Kaiser and civil war and bIoodshed
would result.
Despite the almost perfect mobiliza-
, ton of industry in Germany. profits
have not been abolished. The gun
making Krupps. for instance, since
the war began, have declared divi-
dends as high as 36 per cent.
AT present. however, the government
taxes away most OF the profits. Thus
the finances Of Germany run in a
circle. The government taxes every
man, woman and child and gives the
money back to them in the form of
profits and wages. Round and round,
! year in and year out, the money
keeps moving. What the government
does not take for taxes, it takes IN
exchange for war bonds. The war
bond issues up to this time aggregate
about 6O.O0O. 100000 marks. or something
less than SO. 900. 900, 900.
Continued Tomorrow