Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-26
BANONsFOE DIVIDES
FRENCH SOCIALISTS
Albert Thomas Heads New
Party Which Will Not Deal
With Germans
Special Cable to Evening Public Ledger


Copyright. 1918. BY Ncw York Times Co.
49,. Paris, June rs.
The French Socialist party has been
split in two by the definite refusal Of
forty-one members of the group'to take
part in any international Socialist con-
gress to which Germany forms a party.
1t will be remembered that on the oc-
casion of the recent visit to Paris of
american labor representatives an ef-
fort was made by large section of the
French Socialists to induce the Amer
leans to agree to proposal for an in
ternational congress at which they could
meet the Kaiser's delegates. The Amer
lean delegates fatty declined to accept
the proposal in any form until Prussian
militarism had been crushed.
There was temporary dismay in the
French Socialist camp, where interna-
tonalism has been more a fetish than
perhaps anywhere else in Europe. The
one section of the party announced its
entire agreement with the Americans and
aifew days later forty of them signed
an address to Hjalmar Branting, the
leader of the Swedish Socialists, in
whlcn they placed on record with a
view 70 his approaching visit to Eng
Ano, their disagreement with any pro-
posai Ior the revival of internationalism
% far as Germany was concerned.
Leads New Party
Inc announcement "a day or two ago
OF MS adhesion to this group by Albert
Thomas, formerly French minister of
munitions, has now given a leader to
tne new party, which will be known as
the SOCIALISTS of the Right.
Inc split marks the definite sever
ance OF patriotic French Socialists from
al connection with the internationalism
wnich has for SO long tainted the whole
party and brings the best elements of
advanced political thought in this coun.
ly INTO line with the vast majority OF
BRUSH and American labor men. In
cidentally. with the accession of NJ
Ihomas to the leadership Of the new
party is removed one of the danger
spots IN French parliamentarism in re-
gard to the prosecution of the war.
In an interview published in the Echo
de Paris he says:
AS long as the German Socialists dc
not reply to the memorandum of Lon.
don, which sets objects of the war as
oN'iiiieu ny Wilso1l ana LlOyd George
no conference with them will be posi-.
ble. American Socialists, in agreemen,
with the Federation of Labor, have
agreed to support this. memorandum
The Allied workers have such powe,
when united that the Germans must
give way"
To Reconstitute Party
After saying that he has not broke,
with the other Socialists who have not
yet given their adhesion to the nev
party. NJ Thomas says that his obiec
IL to reconstitute in all its strength
the Socialist majority party of 1915 1,
order to lay down. in view of the cir
cunnstances Of four years Of war, q
policy confrontable to the ideals of ma
tionaI defense and action which wer
so clearly manifested in the Socialis
world at the moment when France wa
attacked.
What WISH" he says in conclusion
rs to define. with the help and collab
Grafton Of all the new Socialist pro
I gram and new Socialist theories which
must Necessarily confor INTO the new
economic situation in view Of all tn.
circumstances set up by the war and tn,
immense revolution the war ha
caused"
M Thomas appears to have seize
the opportunity not only TO throw inter
nationalism overheard, but to give tn
whole Socialist party distinctly ne,