New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-02

be merely the meeting Of the old So
clalist lnternationale, with the differ
ence that in almost every country
the Socialist parties have lost their
strength during the war, and with the
added difference that Bolshevism and
pro- Germanism have either annexed
or COMPOUNDED most Socialist organi-
cations in whole or in part.
The Socialist party membership in
| France is 10000 less now than in 1914
strength is in England, where Mr.
Henderson seemed, until election time
| 80 have man@uvred the Labor party
into acguiescence in his weird pro-
gramme. 1t must be remembered, how
ever, that this was definitely repu-
dated by the election, in which all that
Messrs. Henderson and Macdonald
stood for was showed under From the
standpoint OF realism the Berne con-
gress will differ from a meeting Of the
old international only in the new but
startling and sinister Bolshevism in
jected into it, The pro- Germanjsm Is
nothing new, except in form. 1t has
always been dominant.
Vandervelde Quits Leadership
Sensational developments in connec-
ton with the Berne congress took place
yesterday in conference of allied So
cialists called to convince the Belglans
they ought to go to Berne. After long
and heated discussion Emil Wander
velde resigned his position as president
Of the International Socialist Bureau
the highest Office within the gift Of in
ternational Socialism--saying he felt it
would be Injurious"
IL H.. l, 4
uet declared President Wilson wanted
the congress.
There are only two socialisms, now
that the war is over" said Longuet,
speaking to the Belgian delegation,
"entente socialism and International
lists. You Belgans will be outside;
you will inevitably sink back into ma
tonalists."
NJ. Longuet is French Deputy and
q grandson of the late Karl Marx
Wells, the French Socialist majority
leader NJ. Vandervelde is the Minis
ter Of Justice for his country.
Henderson Takes Stand
After three hours Of argument with
the steadfast Belgians, Henderson
arose and clinched his personal pro-
prietorship in the Berne congress by
cXclalmlng:
~ am organizing this Berne confer
ence and / have no time to waste
here!"'
A definite announcement of the
Anne rican Federation Of Labor delega-
TONS plans is expected within the next
two days. To-days conference among
American. French, Belgian and Cana
dian trade union delegations has been
postponed until tomorrow, and the
Americans will say nothing until after
that. Gompers, however, declared that
American labor movements always
maintained their independence and free
dom from any alliance or ENHANCEMENT
with political organizations.
And" said he, latter having achieved
political independence in America, we
are not likely to surrender it in
Europe"
| asked them if it were not the case
that all those who had closely exam
ined into the Berne project had de-
clared it to be under the complete dom
ination of political organizations. He
replied:
"That is unquestionably the case"
Two Principal Dangers
There are now two principal dangers
| in the Berne conference for the Allies
They are that the Berne congress will
vote an Endorsement of Bolshevism and
the Bolshevik government" in Russia,
and that the German Majority Social
ist delegation will induce the delegates
from neutral and allied nations to in
dorse certain points of the German
peace programme and especially to
work for the reduction of the amount
of money Germany must pay for her
criminal marauding.
In this connection it is worth know
ing that Jean Longuet has just been
made the Bolshevik consul for Paris
and has expressed great satisfaction
over the "distinction." He will throw
all the strength at his command for
has announced that he will oppose such
action to the limit, but he carries only
a minority strength and probably will
leave the congress in disgust
Advantage to the Enemy
AS to the second danger it has been
pointed out clearly by German official
Socialist utterances that the German
delegation must save as much as posi-
BILE for Germany.
The whole Berne congress eXemplifes
hated secret diplomacy of the old days
Of empire and autocracy and looms on
the near horizon as one Of the most
sinister opportunities for enemy ad-
vantage brought forth in the whole
war. In fact the Bolsheviks in
Paris are saying there is no real need
for the Lenine congress of revolution
aries because the Berne congress is
developing character SO satisfactorily
Bolshevik as to make purely Bolshe-
vik assembly unnecessary. {,