The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-02-18
RADICALS CROW
Reveal Strength in Recent Ger
man Political Strikes.
Charging Three as Traitors
Only Augmented Party. ="

New York, Feb. 1S.-The radical
Socialist movement in Germany the
growing strength of which was shown
by the perSiStency of the pontical
strike in January and February Is
also gaining decided ground among
the political leaders of German social
democracy. The little group of radi-
cal Socialists in the reichstag under
the leadership of HaaSe Ledebour,
and Bernstein who split off from the
or Scheidemann Socialists on the is
sue of voting funds for the war and
formed an independent organization,
has now grown by continued defec-
tions from the moderate wing to a
strength emitting it to a second mem
Der on the principal reichstag COM
mittee.
The additional representation is
gained at the expense of the regular
Socialist organization which at the be-
ginning of the war was the largest
party in the reichstag. but which has
now fallen to second rank behind the
Catholic centeR -Four Socialist mem
bers of the refehstag, BrandeS, Doctor
Erdmann, Huetmann, and Jacket.
went over to the radicals at the be-
ginning of the year.
Leipzig n Radical Hot Bed.
Recent elections at Leipzig brought
IS radical Socialists into the city
council. The regular Socialists Sc
cialists who thus formed the third
strongest party in the council de-
manded the second vice presidency as
their quota of the presiding officers.
but the non Socialist aldermen to
whom the radical Socialists are
anathema, united with the regular
Socialists to give this office to one of
the six moderate Socialist Democrats.
whereupon the radical Socialists re-
fused to participate in the organiza-
ton of council.
Leipzig is one of the strongholds of
the radical Socialists, their principal
newspaper organ, the Leipzig Volks
Zeitung. being published there. The
radicals have been badly off as far as
press is concerned the Vorwaerts and
other important Socialist organs hav-
ing been retained by the regular party
organization. Editors of the radical
press have been discharged wholesale
from the party organizations.
Michaelis's Scheme a Boomerang
The government of Doctor Michae-
lis was largely responsible for the
boom of the radical Socialist organiZa-
ton The charges against Haase, Dit
mann and Vogtherr of the radical So
cldlist group in the reichstag of inspir-
ing and abetting the alleged mutiny in
the navy last summer, launched in the
reichstag in the autumn by Chancel-
lor Michaelis in an effort to save his
administration did not complete the
discredi- OF the radical group as or
dered- They really helped the radi-
calls among the non-SociaIist parties
and the public at large since it was
known that the government had ear
Her informed-the party leaders in the
reichstag that there were no grounds
fo- a prosecution
The transparent attempt of Michae-
lis to rally support in the reichstag on
lingo issue resulted in the downfall
or Michaelis and in securing for the
radical Socialists the standing of a Sc
rious political party which their meth
DDS had earlier shaken. They are on
posed to all votes of credit for the war
and for an immediate stoppaee of
lighting and have, unlike the regular
SOCIALISTS. persisted in the original So
cialist attitude of opposition 10 ~.
monarchical system ~