New-York tribune., 1918-03-11


these vast territories and populations
by indirect means, Germany will have
won the war. The maximum original
ambition Of Germany was to conquer
tie road to the Persian Cuff and the
Suez Canal. This would have enabled
her TO dominate the Continent of Eu-
rope and the gateways to Asia and
Africa. The conquest Of Russia was
beyond her dreams until the German
made Bolsheviki hove into sight and
gave the German ruling class a new
idea.
In the first few weeks of the Russian
revolution it appeared that Russia
would remain united and all classes
would support the government and con-
tinue the war against Germany. But IL
soon began to appear that the Russian
Socialists were determined to weaken
Russia from every possible standpoint,
to divide her geographically, to intcn-
sify the class conflict even before the
end of the war, and to weaken her
armies in many different ways.
German Socialism the Cause
What was the cause Of this extraordi-
nary state Of mind among Russian So
cialists? The answer can be given in
two words: German Socialism, The
party Socialism Of Russia, like that of
other countries, is mere branch of
German Socialism. traditionally, intel
lectually, politically and in every other
sense. But tho German Socialists had
special influence over Russia-and
this Tor many reasons-proximity the
lower cultural condition of Russia. the
desperate struggle against czarism. and.
above all, the presence Of millions of
German and German speaking Jews in
Russia. Let it be always remembered
that Yiddish is dialect of German and
not form of Hebrew. The letters are
Hebrew, but only very small percent
age Of the words. Any German can
understand Yiddish and any Yiddish
speaking Jew can understand German.
The German government has long
looked with an indulgent eye upon So
clallsm III other countries. especially in
Russia. 1t had long hoped that the
undlsciplincd. non -Gcrmanc PEOPLES
would take Socialism seriously and
cripple their armies to an extent To
make German conquest easy. But it did
not dare to hope that they would go to
the length to which they have gone in
Russia. 1t therefore took several weeks
last spring before the Junkcrs fully re-
allied their advantage. They could not
at first believe their eyes, that every
Socialist party in Russia was still look
ing up to the German Socialists as
likely to lead the way to revolution, and
that they were taking this assumption
as the basis for the complete demoral-
ization of Russia.
Plan Was Made to Order
The German government knew il
could control the German Socialists.
Here was cheap but easy plan to con-
quer the world such as no military ma
tion in history had ever yet laid before
it. All the Gcrman government had to
do was carefully TO manage its Social
ist factions in order TO swallow up half
the earth without any further military
effort worth mentioning.
L f- l. l.. ~
lists and their Russian pupils was in
tricatc, but its main lines were simple
The first bait held before the humble
Russian disciples of German Socialism
was an international Socialist confer
ence." 1t will be recalled that all the
Socialists from the Central Powers to
this conference were first instructed by
their governments. Later some unin-
structed delegates from the German
Minority Socialists were allowed to at
tend, with a clear and distinct under
standing of the limitations within
which they were to act.
The Stockh olm conference agitation,
it was hoped, might also influence the
pacifsts in the Entente countries. 1t
did have an enormous effect in this di-
rection, an effect which lasts over even
to-day and may yet wreck the Entente
cause.
German-made Conference
But the chief effect was not in Rus
sia. The Stockholm conference was
German-made from every possible point
of view$the majority of its organizers
were German or proGerman, the over
whelming maj jority of the delegates in
vited were German or proGerman, and
finally the various programmes issued
were pro-German to the last degree
giving to Germany nearly everything
tain by the war. To the humble dis.
cples of German Socialism in Russia
these programmes did not seem in any
way Germanic in so far as they were
directed against the Entente, and com.
promises were to be provided for or
the Russian front. If, then, the pro
gramme did not satisfy the German
government at every point, it was a.
every point anti-British. anti-Frencl
and anti-ltalian, thus aligning Russis
squarcly against her allies.
Finally Kcrcnsky was forced to re
nounce the Stockholm conference.-the
this was the last Of Kerensky. In tn,
meanwhile the German government ha,
prepared its second plan for using tn
Russian Socialists against Russia an,
the other dem mocratic powers allied witt
her. The Bolshcviki are the disciple
Of the radical wing Of the German So
calsts. 1t is their humble faith il
their German Socialist leaders that lc
them to the belief that the German So
cialists would forthwith join an all
European revolutionary movement. i
other words, Bolshevism is German
made; it was not made by the Kaisc