Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-04-19
Seventh Installment)

seventh luSldlineiltJ
In Berlin / attended many secret
conferences with men and women OF
trade unions, and also with men Of fra
ternal ldOges.
As my assignment implicitly demands
that l present what the Germans are
saying and thinking, l must cOnfine
myself to the views expressed to me by
these thousands of men and women.
Yet / find it very difficult to present
these without conveying my own con-
clusion.
Things said to me, if reported even
without giving the names of friends
and those others ] have interviewed,
would give clues to the secret agents OF
the German government and they
would trace whereof the information
has been secured.
For instance, / made many visits to
many North German industrial CEN
tiers. | interviewed innumerable naval
and military officers of all ranks, most
of whom sought me of their own free
will and accord. Therefore, a too in
innate report of certain naval mutiny
that took place at a certain naval base
may cast the suspicion of the authOri-
ties to certain set of men who are
already regarded as anti-GOvernmental
1 have learned that other visitors to
Germany, on leaving the country, had
TO be extremely reticent on speaking of
their impressions while travelling in
that country for fear of involving innO-
cent German friends in unpleasant eX-
periences. For that reason l will not
be definite in discussing any phase of
the subject which | am recording.
Kaiser Rebuked
In the German fraternal circles the
Crown Prince of Germany, the very
high military or naval authorities and
even the Kaiser himself, are openly
Ostracized. l learned in Hamburg
and later had it repeatedly verified in
eight other German centers, that dur
ing his constant travellings the Kaiser
was in the habit of paying visits to
different fraternal lodges, and at these
places the lodges had adjourned pre-
emptOrily in anticipation of the All
Highest's visit
Only those Germans who are affil-
lated with the fraternal organization
of which the Kaiser is a devOut mem
Der can realize the significance of this
rebuke AS the significance of this
act on the part of these bodies can be
understood still less i'm other countries.
j will pass over this subject at once
Unlearned Are German Socialists
1 will now attempt to convey the
views of North German Socialists.
The majority of our German Social
lists | found, are very little different
from their pre-war days. In the Ber-
lin district the Socialism, found, has
never travelled backwards.
On returning from Germany | made
this observation to German and Ger
man Swiss Socialists at Zurich, and
am sorry to confess that incurred their
Pades in other countries will denOmce
me for making this statement. But
went to Germany to see and hear, and
from what l saw and heard, l have
come to the firm, but yet sad, cOnclu-
sion that our Prussian authorities care
less for the Socialist view than they do
for the views of the Center, the Roman
Catholic masses.
The Socialist masses of North Ger
many are not for a Revolution and
their political and trade union leaders
are too conservative to count as a men
ace against the Government Their
political and Parliamentary leaders are
mostly men who have never been man
nal workers. They are lawyers, shop
keepers, journalists, educators, and
professional politicians. These class
es of men will never advocate violent
upheavals. They are still preaching
evolutionary revolution" Even the
minority Socialists, their leaders in
the Reichstag, are not yet unit for a
fOrcible revolution.
A Sad Confession
| must confess very sadly that the
Socialist masses have not even pro.
crossed as much as the Socialist masses
in neutral countries. l had been made
TO believe while still i'm Zurich that
there were from 10 to % Reichstae
members in the ranks of the Minority
Socialist Party. / interviewed many
Socialists in North Germany, and be
came convinced that this was not the
whole truth. The tricky German
Governments policy had seen advan
tage in giving out the false news to the
world that, at present there was al
appreciate number of real Revolution
airy Socialists in Germany. 1t is true
There are thousands of truly Revolu
tionary Socialists, but there are very
few heroic leaders to lead them. Meas
ured by Russian, Scandinavian, French
Italian or even by English Socialist,
of the present date, the real RevOlu
tiOnary Socialists in Germany have no