Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-09-07
Old Socialist Party Split-Up.

If the common or garden variety of
British trade unionist is inclined to
associate with deep-down radicals. he
will be obliged to choose between the
Independent labor party. the British
socialist party. the socialist labor
party, the national socialist party and
the socialist party of Great Britain.
The chips of the split-up and sawed
up old original socialist party are
scattered all over the British Isles.
To ascertain the merits of the diff
ferences between these socialist
groups an earnest sociological stu
dent would be required to give
months reading to the bundles of
their controversial printed matter and
exercise the judgment of Solomon.
Strange bedfellows are found in the
labor party itself-the trade union
congress, the socialist and co-opera-
tive societies, the city trades coun-
ellis, the local labor parties and the
Womens Labor League. Among the
fifty-nine labor representatives in
parliament there are men of every
shade of political opinion. from the
very conservative to the violent revo-
lutionist. Condemnation inevitably
falls on the heads of trade union off,
Gals in parliament. II they attend to
their union duties they must be alb
sent from the house; If they sit con-
scientiously in the house they are
charged with neglect of their union
work.
The puzzled unionist hears today
clamorous advocacy of the political
strike to take the place of the ballot
He hears continual demands for To-
cal and national meetings He is
, called on to take sides on the unem-
ployment problem. on the peace
treaty, on questions of rehabilitation,
on the distribution of food in the fam
ished continental countries. He is
called on to take sides in problemat-
fcal international issues and on prop
ositions of dubious international con-
crosses. He is confronted with the
duty of settling in his mind his i'm
pulses of patriotism in connection
with international conventions-at
Stockholm, at Bern. at Paris. at
kienthal, at Zimmerwald. at London
with allies, with neutrals, with Ger
mans. He sees at such meetings sup
posedly sober British representatives
chummy with the wild Cachins and
the Marxite Longuets of France and
: the obstructionist Italian socialists
who openly opposed their government
during the war. He is expected to
shout for Quixotic international prof.
ects, such as worldwide free trade
and similar universal brotherhood is
| sues non-existent to American labor
lie beholds prominent on the labor
and socialist stage pacifists and con-
sclehtlous DIRECTORS. some of them in
termed during the war. He becomes
acquainted with earnest people in the
iabor research department. formerly
| the Fabian. struggling with their So
cialist prepossessions in endeavors to
1 put before the public in scientific form
; serious reports helpful to the general
British public, entertainment being
supplied at their meetings through
the disnifed craftsmanship of Bernard
Shaw and the fancifuI guild projects
/ of q. d. II. Cole
Asks What Labor Issues Will Be.
' The philosophic humorisr James
! Sexton, NJ. p, of the dockworkers. in
| CURED at recent party conference
what in fact the labor issues were
| TO be. saying: II don't want to go to
the next general election with only a
| Fabian essay around my neck"
| Despite all the confusion and coun-
ter-currents noted above. 1t is a mat
! ter of general observation that the
puzzled and defeated British trade
unionist will occasionally act with the
great body of his class and caste.
Sinking off his habituaI lethargy, he
now and then attends meetings or
conferences of his union or party, and
! sinking differences cheers with either
| friends or enemies. applauds crusaders
who want things he doesn't. and boos
or laughs with disturbers. interlopers.
! hecklers-in short. shows a willing,
ness to roar in chorus with any ami
NAL in the menagerie. He doesn't
! know where he is going, but he knows
! he's on the way"
| In what respect are the British
wage workers more adYantageousIy
! placed than the American? Have they
| found open ways to high civic and
| economic levels not attained in this
country? In pre-war times American
! Continued on Fifth Page.)