New-York tribune., 1918-02-01
The German Strikes


Berlin, Hamburg, Kicl, Chemnitz and
other German cities were absolute novel
ties On the German war stage, the Allied
pubIcs might be excused for taking them
as portents of proletariat revolution.
But it is well to remember that they are
not novelties There is, in fact, striking
similarity between these demonstrations
and the big labor strikes on last May
Day.
The German government is allowing
the present disturbances to be exploited
in the neutral and Allied newspapers.
This in itself excites suspicion. Little
news of the labor troubles last spring
was allowed to get out. But from
speeches in the Reichstag, suppressed
when made and leaking through Switzer
land only month or two later, it was
learned that the May labor demonstra-
tions were very formidable and that the
government ended them only through
skilful admixture of concession and Sc
verify.
We are told now that appeals from
Hindenburg to the strikers have been
posted on all the street corner kiosks
in Berlin But that is nothing new. Both
Hindenburg and Ludendorf were called
in to quiet the labor agitation Of last year.
Then. as now, Socialist leaders and labor
organizers were arrested or drafted for
military service on the West front. But
the government also decided to placate
political unrest by planning hberaliza-
ton of the Prussian franchise. And the
Reichstag resolution in favor Of peace
without indemnities and annexations
dates from the same period as the
promise of Prussian electoral reform. If,
as is stated. one Of the main demands of
the men now on strike is for peace with
out indemnities and annexations, that is
simply thrashing over of old straw. The
government has accepted that principle
in form, and is perfectly willing to re-
accept it provided only that it is left
free to hold that annexations of con-
ouered territory are not to be considered
annexations in case they are accom-
plished through fictitious process Of
"self-determination" under German mill
tarv control
Were food conditions as bad in the
United States, Great Britain, France atd
Italy as they have been in Germany since
1915 all these countries would now be fac
ing, or would have already faced, labor
strikes far more Gripping than any which
Germany has had to struggle with. The
German workman is docie. That is in his
blood. And public discipline is far more
rigid in Germany than it is in any other
country in the world This difference in
Germany's favor must always be taken
into account The military autocracy in
Prussia sometimes chooses to play with
popular unrest as cat does with mouse
1t was entirely willing to take chances on
an international Socialist conference in
Stockholm, called for the purpose of or
ganizing the proletariats of the various
European states against the existing gov
ernments. 1t nominated delegates to go to
Stockholm But it knew it's agents
Scheidemann was one of them, and he is
now at his old job of talking in the Main
Committee of the Rechstag about demo
cratic peace
This time the speeches of the Socialist
orators and the news of the labor troubles
get past the German censor. Why:
Everybody knows that Germany's military
situation is better than it was last May
The lines on the West front have held fast
Russia has been eliminated as an armed
enemy So has Rumania. Austrian terri
tory has been freed, and Austria is now
menaced neither from the cast nor from
the west. A new German offensive ir
France is being advertised.
If, under these circumstances, the lid is
being lifted on news Of peace demonstra
tions in Germany it is up to the Allied
publics to cultivate a gold deal Of whole.