The Raymer enterprise., 1920-04-01
Shall Chaos or Reconstruction in
Europe Follow the Great
World Mar7
aAOIcALlsM IN THE SADDLE
Without Z Definite Program, People
Everywhere Arr Demanding 4
Change In Present Conditions
Threat u "DlrSct Action"
Article xl.
sy FRANK coMEaFoRp.

WIN eUb Vu9s
Radicalism In Europe Is rampant
The workers are active. the middle
class sympathetic. The industrial
centers are hotbeds. The conservatism
Of the farmers and peasants Is break.
ing down. It is hard to define this
rdicalim-k ID without form. II
Isn't : definite program, 1t isn't even
political. The people are dissatisfied
The red flag is popular. It promises
Z short cut. It answers the cry Of the
Impatient. I was surprised to see
many Of the very men who fought so
gsllantly under their country's nag
and who but yesterday would have
torn the red nag from the hagpole.
now defending II. carrying 1t and fol-
lowing II. ! am sure they do not know
what tho red nag stands for. To them
1t represents protest against things
~ they are. Summed up In a word,
the attitude Of mind Of the workers
Of Europe II eagerness for change
some change-any change. Every
one knows the symptoms. understands
what is wrong. but the remedy is only
vaguely discussed.
! attach much significance to the
new attitude Of organized labor In
Europe. Labor unions formerly con-
cerned themselves with wages. terms
Of employment. shop conditions, safety
appliances. recognition Of their right
Of collective bargaining. Since the
war the labor movement has taken up
questions entirely outside Of it's Geld,
questions properly the concern OF oil
the people. questions Of government
policy. l have In mind recent de-
mands made by the working men In
England. France and Italy. These DE-
mands were addressed to the regularly
and properly elected Representatives
Of the people, the governments. They
were accompanied by threats Of gen
eral strikes II they were not accedsl
to. This step II an innovation; It h
revolutionary.
The working men are citizens and
have voice 10 the government equal
with all other citizens. After the pso.
pie have selected their representatives,
the men chosen should be responsible
to all Of the people without regard to
class or station. A government by one
portion Of the people 10 autocratic.
Government Of the people, for the peo-
pie. and by the people. means all Of
the people. The effort on the part
Of q minority In the labor movement,
who chaIlengingly call themselves 80.
cIalists. TO dictate to the state. repre-
senting all Of the people, is an attack
upon democracy. II successful II
would destroy the state and leave the
grest majority Of the people. including
the workers. less free than they are
now. What sane man, whether he Is
q working man or not, IL In favor Of
minority governmenti
Demands Hard to Understand.
witnessed many demonstrations In
Europe under the red flag. In which
the leaders demanded three things
from the government.
First, they demanded the release Of
all the men In jail who were held for
political crimes. These included men
found guilty Of sedltion and treason
during the war. cannot understand
this demand. Why should men be re.
leased from jail who sought to stab
, in the back the men who went to the
trenches to Asht and die for freedom
| should much prefer to see all Of the
burglars released. II am compelled
to choose between the traitor and the
burglar. will have no trouble In max.
Ing my decision.
eecond, they demanded that no SOL
disrs be sent to Russia. The agitation
on this point was 30 strong that when
the British government attempted to
send soldiers to Russia last summer
t1o10). the soldiers mutinied. and 70
far a. I am able to learn the feeling
was 20 strong. the situation so critical
the government did not dare court
martial them.
Third, they demanded that all con
scription laws be abolished.
II II apparent that these demands
coming from Z minority. backed by i
threat. constitute an invasion Of the
rights Of the people. The question
int whether or not one believes These
thinos should be done; the issue 10 the
method resorted to. Personally de
not believe soldiers should be sent ia
Russia. In my opinion allied inter
neddling has been stupid and harmful
but II tbess matters Of general publ<