New-York tribune., 1921-01-23
x-Radicals
Now Europe's
Safety Valve
Before the War Social
lists and Labor Leaders
and Pacifists Becoming
Backers Of Governments
Henderson an Example
Jean Longuet. of France,
Also Turns From Radical
ism to Conservative Role
By Arthur S. Draper

From Tho Ty5hune's EuropeoN BuyedA
LONDON, Jan. 14.-With the politics
situation in Europe three years ago q
standard, there is to-day an unmis
taxable drift to the Left. At the be-
ginning of the last year Of the war, con
servative governments ruled nearly
every country in Europe. Though al
the elements of extreme radicalism
existed, largely because of the terrible
burden of the war, the Hohenzollerns
the Hapsburgs, Clemenceau and Lloyc
George were firmly In the saddle.
In opposition to the governments OF
the day were various groups Of Social.
list and labor leaders and other agita.
tors, not to mention the regular politi-
cal parties, Bolshevism was still q
rather vague word. rather pleasing to
the Germans and annoying to the
Allies, chiefly because it had disrupted
their military plans. The greatest fear
of the military leaders-ai,d thew were
in control Of the governments of all
the belligerent countries-was pacifism
Each and every government exag-
gerated the demand for peace within
the boundaries of their particular state,
Pacifism smashed the strongest of the
autocracies first. In those days it was
not really class struggle.
Drift Toward Left
"A dozen names will suffice to prove
the drift toward the Left since January.
1918. France furnishes the best ex-
ample. Jean Longuet was a most un-
popular radical. o minority leader of
the French Socialists, so-called pro-
German. AS l write comes news of the
Tours conference of the French Social
lists and the defeat Of Jean Longuet
adhering to the Third (Moscow) Inter
rationale. Longuet has been badly
beaten and has decided to withdraw
from the party. In two years, without
changing the least in policy, Longuet
has moved from the extreme Left to
the extreme Right.
Look back to January, 1918, and see
J: R. Clynes. ]. R. Thomas, Arthur
Henderson and Ramsay Macdonald
listed among the radicals of British
labor. They were classed as hardly
less extreme than Philip Snowden and
George Lanshury, dangerous men,"
are regarded as the conservatives Of
British labor, tho country's safety
valves.
Time after time in the last year they
have been appealed to by the Lloyd
George government to use their powers
for compromise with British EMPLOYERS.
All these leaders have had q hard
struggle to Justify their moderation in
the eyes of their followers. British
labor, as whole, has drifted toward
the political Left, but it has not vet
accepted the Third fMoscow) Nationale; {;
1t Is still far from revolutionary.
Attitude of Masses
No finer praise can be given the
British for common sense than to draw
attention to the attitude of the masses
at time when unemployment is ram
pant and distress is general. The be-
lief in constitutional government has
never wavered, and even to-day there
is no revolutionary movement in Eng.
land which need cause alarm, but,
nevertheless, there has been an un-
mistakable drift.
In Stockholm Socialist government
has been tried and found wanting, Mr..
Branting being succeeded as Swedish
Premier by a Conservative. But it
would be mistake to interpret this
change as rejecting q national drift
toward the r ght. Radicalism is gain
Ing in Sweden, though it is follow
ing constitutional lines. Much the
same situation exists in Holland and
Switzerland, in both of which coun-
in 1918.
italy is the most interesting, and
also the most uncertain Of the Allied
countries. Signor Giolitti was not in
high favor In January, 1918. He was
considered shelved as political figure,
but at the moment Of Italy's greatest
crisis since the armistice he was re-
turned to power. and had an upheaval
closely approximating q Red revolution
TO handle. He settled that critical
situation without resort 20 force, and
now he has written fnis to DAN
nunzio's glorified rule by the use Of
his armed forces.
There are more than $50 Socialists
In the Italian Parliament, 40 radical q
lot as one can find west Of the Russian,
frontier. but these radicals have been
compelled to adopt an even moro radi-
cal policy than that Of 1913 to meet the
popular demand Of 1920. A revolution
is going on In Italy, but it Is under
control; It is not destroying property:
it is not following Bolshevistic
methods.
Bohemia IN Example
Compare conditions in Bohemia with
those Of 1913. President Masaryk. Of
the Czecho-Slovak Republic. is . So
cialist, a. mild-mannered. radical and
erudite statesman as one can and in
the whole Of Europe. He is an aca-
demic Socialist, constitutionalist, q
member Of the Right, but he contrasts
sharply with previous leaders Of
Prague. And stfll there is strong
communist element among tho Slays
Of Czecho-Siovakia.
In the enemy countries there has
been the natural reaction following .
crushing defeat. A saddler succeeded
a Hohenzollern. A Kapp revolution
almost resulted in q Red regime. A
Left Socialist Of 1918 10 now classed
smong the country's conservatives,
The political drift Is no greater than
the economic drift. Extreme radicals
DO not flourish where the economic
conditions are good, where food ia
Iarriy plentiful, where unemployment
- at minimum. Much Of the reac-
tion OF the last two years has been due
TO disappointment. The enemy neo~
pies have been disappointed by thar
defeat: tke victorious peop1es hava
nsen disappointed by tho few piums
ssney received. Europe has recovered
from its dissppointment. The drift
VIII stop Il the economic situation I'm =
proves and fortunately for the peacA
u 'ns world the prospects seem good.