The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-04-22
HOW THE WAR
INvOL We'd The
LABOR UNIONS
Became a War Between
Patriotic Unionists
BY A. LosoVsKY
General see'y. Of the Red Interna.
tional of Labor Unionsl


ranks of the unions did the war attack
the trade union movement, but this
process also changed the old theology,
creating new one, the theology OF
the war period. This theology in diff
ferent countries had different names.
but mainly it was called "war social
ism" What was the main feature OF
this theology which was created by
the leaders of the trade union and
political movement during the war?
We think it can be characterized in
the following short formula: Father.
land, first of ALL" Let us remembered
that at the beginning of the war one
OF the most laxative syndicaIists of
France, Gustave Harve, who turned
over to social patriotism with tighten
ing agility, has explained this evolu-
ton in the following way:
THE workers" said he. "were
caught by the iron hand Of the war
by the throat, raised into the air and
thrown back by the strong hand TO
the ground, and they felt first OF all
their own ground. Every one Of the
workers who was thrown by the
hurricane of events fell to the ground
OF his own country"
Anareho-syndicalists Also Discovered
A "FatherIandy
We have to say that although the
reformists of all countries as it was
already mentioned in the social sense
have been believers in evolution. but
in their own personal viewpoint. they
have been developing in an entirely
dlnerent way. In this case we NAV
rather use the conception of revolu.
ton than evolution, for they have
been changing their views literally
over night.
And this may be said not only about
the reformists but also about a verv
great number Of neutrality-suspicious.
who suddenly. somehow, began to feel
that they had "fatherland" although
anti-patriotism was previously their
hobby.
The Division on MiIitsry-DipIomatIe
Coalition
The military theology of the labor
movement brought great changes in
the relation Of forces. The modern
war is not war of small groups. or
small armies. Modern war is a war
Of masses, a war of nations in the
real sense Of the word It is a war
of industry against industry. The
tactics of the working class in this
war, the tactics of its unions, the
methods of struggle, play a decisive
role in the modern war.
Not withuot reason did the garruL
Gus Lloyd George in 1916 say to the
metal workers, "In this victory on the
northern front won by the British
army you, metal workers. played
great and decisive part" Yes, the in
fiuence of industry played a decisive
role in the war. The growth of mflit.
airy industry explains the numerical
changes of the unions beginning in
1867.
But, on the other hand, this growth
also explains the lowering of the level
Of the labor movement, for in the war
industry, which was the basis OF war
and which concentrated all workers
not gone to the front, the conditions
of work were such that those who
participated in it were in fact ideolo-
gical and political participants in the
war.
A War Between Unionists
When We talk about the war be-
tween France and England on one
side ana Germany on the other, we
have to talk not only about the war
between the two groups Of bourgeoisie,
but also the war between the social.
lists and trade unions of these fighting
countries. Here, the war was not only
in the sense that the workers had
been organized into unions and sent
to the front and ordered to fire at
their comrades with machine guns.
The war which began in 1914 started
a war also between the trade unions
OF the allies and the unions OF the
central powers. II started a polemic
and an theological fight where the re-
fANeNANoAAfto VI OAC cAuO-hAAt diAlCrs
tried to prove to the German trade
unions. that they we're traitors to the
principles of international socialism
when they were supporting the kaiser.
and Legien, the leader Of the German
unions, tried to prove that the traitors
were the unions Of the allies. because
they were supporting the bourgeoisis
allied to the Russian car.
The above article Is taken from
Losovsky's excellent book, "The
Worlds Trade Union Movement"
the most interesting book written on
the various union movements Of tho
world. Send so cents to the T. U.
E. L. 1itS W. Washington Blvd.
Chicago, H., and the book will be
sent you postage paid.