New-York tribune., 1918-02-24

HarperS Magazine, Charles Ed
ward Russell exposes the alliance between
socialism and pan Germanism not only in the
German Empire but in the United States.
Before war opened his ewes Mr.. Russell
had been an ardent Socialist In 1910 he
published "Why Am Socialist" and that
same year and again in 1912 he was the So
cialist candidate for Governor of New York
He was his party's candidate for President of
the United States when MIR. Wilson was elect
ed for his second term His resignation from
the Socialist party was most striking proof
OF its decadence in this country. His obser-
walton of Russian affairs as a member of the
Root commission gives him authority to
speak with understanding and sympathy of
the Russian people His conclusions are that
"ln Great Britain as in America and some
other countries the attempt to found kind
of Socialist sect, bitter of countenance and
fanatical Of creed, was always a failure and
always would be. A wall of alien methods
long blocked the progress Of social reform.
The war has broken a way through it and
indicated industrial democracy as nearly
attainable goal.'
German Socialists No Safeguard
In the quotations from Mr.. Russells article
which follow those paragraphs bearing di-
rectly upon socialism in it's relation to Amer.
lea are reproduced:
"The world had long looked upon the Ger
man Socialists one Of its safeguards 1t
had been told that even if the War Lord
should command to battle the Socialists
would not abate one jot of their faith. and
affecting pictures were drawn of the typical
German Socialist folding his arms and allow
ing himself to be shot rather than obey his
Kaiser and go forth to shoot his brother pro-
letarians. Four millions was the strength
of the German Socialist party; all opposed to
war and ready to refuse to engage in it. How
then could Germany ever break the peace
Let her drill her great armies as she might
list, delight her rulers with her far-famed
autumn mannuvres and make the welkn and
other things ring about the Mailed Fist. The
Social Democrats the sufficient answer
to all that.
"And now it appeared to our dazed senses
that this belief must be surrendered as but
fantasy. Now it appeared that when band
of jingoes went to and fro beating the war
drum the Socialists were as much entranced
with the rub dub any schooboy OF
them all.
"When the war broke out the civilized
world was amazed at the spectacle offered
by the German Socialists, ardent in the
support of their government. in a wanton and
wicked assault upon a small country then at
peace with Germany. Nothing more repug-
nant to the announced principles of socialism
could be imagined than the brigandage Ger
many practised upon Begium and German
Socialists not only acquiesced in it, they took
hand in it. Instead of the beautiful mar
tyrdom in the cause of peace and brother
hood that we had been promised, German So
cialsts, apparently with great good will
seized arms and went forth to shoot their
Socialist comrades Of Belgium and France
When Russia Reyolted
"When the Russian people arose. threw off
the blight of autocracy, and founded the
duty of the German Socialists, if they were
sincere, was to hail the order with re-
jocing, and absolutely to refuse to fight
against it. For this there were unassalable
reasons. The Russian Revolution was a great
political upheaval and more; it was great
Socialist triumph. Almost all the Russian
rcvoutionsts were Socialists; they adopted
the Socialist red flag as the national ensign
CT new Russia, they organized the first So
clallst government in the world The Ger
man Socialists were condemned out of their
own mouths. If civilization could be in anv
danger from such Russians the whole Social
list theory menace. If the Socialist
theory were right, then the German Social
lists should be fighting on the side of new
Russia, not against it.
"ln truth, the last ground had been cut
from under them. They had always professed
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