The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-07-25

LeL LH6 governments KNOW VIGIL Ludl
to play with fire is dangerous for
themselves. Should they start a mon
strous confagration in Europe, they
will not remain unpublished"
In November Of the same year the
emergency Congress at
Basic adopted manifesto against the
imperialist war, against
any help whatever in this war and to
the bourgeois governments and par
liaments who would be taking part
In it:
Basic Anti-War Manifesto.
"It (the internationally was in IA
vor of the workers of all countries
opposing the might Of international
proletarian solidarity to capitalist
imperialism.
The Congress gave a clear indi-
cation of the path to be followed by
the workers if the crime were to be-
come reality, if the war were to
break out,-the path of civil war.
BY pointing out that the Franco
Prussian and the Russo-Japanese
wars caused the proletariat to rise
and engage in civil war, the con-
gress invited the socialist parties
and workers organizations to re-
spond again by civil war in the
event of war breaking out anew.
They would be madmen If they did
not understand that the thought
alone Of the horrors of war rouses
the proletariat of all countries to
anger and indignation. Workers
consider 1t a crime to shoot each
other for the benefit of capitalists"
Such were the promises and pledges
Of the Second International.
And how did they keep them?
Proletarlat Demonstrated.
On the eve of war, when the ex-
cited proletariat demonstrated against
the war in the streets Of Berlin, Paris
and PETERBOROUGH, the leaders of the
Second International were already
secretly with the bourge-
oisie and were preparing to betray the
class.
On the 30th Of July the Ger
man Social-Democrats placed all
their hopes for the preservation of
peace on the Kaiser. The cowardly
betrayers of the cause of Socialism
were seeking access to imperial
thrones and ministerial portfolios.
But Socialists Praise Kaiser.
while being opposed directly and
in principle to the monarchie form OF
government" they wrote "and deter
mined to maintain this attitude also
in the future, and while carrying on
determined fight against
the imperial crowned head,-we never
theless declare, and not for the first
time, that Wilhelm II has by his con-
iuct shown during the last few years
that he is a lover of peace, which he
is determined to maintain" This is
how the imperialist socialists, the So
cialist followers of Wilhelm II, pre-
pared the masses for the acceptance
Of the lying story of the bourgeoisie
about the war being forced on Ger
many and about the necessity to de-
lend the fatherland.
Was the conduct of the opportun-
st heroes Of the Second international
n France and in other countries any
Inherent from that of the German So
,ial-Democratic leaders? Not in the
east. They too were concerned not
10 much with the unmasking of their
governments, as with representing
hem as lovers Of peace.
The declaration of the French par
iamentary socialist group of March
10th, 1914 supported the illusion Of
he peace-loving nature Of the policy
If France. the is, of the French gov
srnment, and ~ its peaceful influence
On Europe.
Forget Pledges.
But these patriotic notes were still
by the tumult of protests
md declarations against the war. AS
soon as war broke out, the picture
as If by magic. Opportunist
IDEAS, which sprang up and ripened in
he opportunist circles of the Second
were allowed by the
eaders of the central-Kausky and
rise to the surface, and be-
ZANE the slogans and military pro-
,ramme of the entire Second Interna-
ional, in lieu Of the decisions of Stuff
yart, Brussels, Chemnitz, Paris, ETC.,
which were dishonored, forgotten and
buried.
Treason of August 4th.
August 4th is a significant date in
he history of socialism. The Social
Democratic fraction of the German
aeichstag carried out the decision,
adopted the day before by rs to IA
yotes, to vote war credits. The dec
aration Of the Social-Democratic frac
ion which the lackeys of the bour-
yeoisie and the betrayers Of socialism
placed before the Imperial Chancellor
or examination and approval, was as
ollows: 1--WE must now vote not for