CURRENT LITERATURE.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 August 1923, Page 4

CURRENT LITERATURE.

III)! (UUUI.Ui IIHVOI.I TLON. Much has been written about the German Revolution unci the condition u! post-war Germany by Englishmen who have visited the country since the armistice, But less hits been heard from German sources, a fact which lends additional interest to "’the German Revolution and After." by Herr Heinrich Sirocbcl. a Landing deputy, and a leading member of the stall' of the socialist journal, " Vorvvacrts." L’nfortunately the author lias not the gilt: of lucid narrative, lie is very discursive and devote- much space to rather irrelevant expositions of political doctrine. Olten it i' diliiculf to see the wood lor the trees, and the reader looks in vain ior any clear, coherent, and connected account of what actually happened. Nevertheless, his hook contains some important material, and out of the confusion certain highly significant admissions emerge. The first- relates to Germany’s war guilt. There is a tendency now to exculpate Germany. Russia, France —any one, in fact, was responsible for the war rather than grievoiisly-t induced Germany. Other apologists lor Germany do not go quite as far as this. Their

contention is that, even it Germany did precipitate the war, the junkers and militarists were to blame; the German people we if innocent dupes. Rut Herr Slroebel leaves no room tor misapprehension oil either point. He shows that the great mass of the German people was heart and soul ior the war, and was under no illusion with regard to its character. Most of the Social Democrats were zealous supporters of !ho war from August, lid I, right up to the turn of the title in IMS. Even before the war there had been a rift in the Social Democratic hue, and keen antagonism existed between the right and tlie left wings ol the party. On the outbreak of war the breach heeame complete. The majority Socialists voted enthusiastically for the war credits ; the .Minority refused. The Majority Socialists attempted to justify their action by the plea that the war was one of self-defence. The author insists that they knew this to be false.

• The pretext of the .Majority party," he writes, ••flint they were concerned with a defensive war. forced upon them hy Russia, was all the more peculiar in view 01 the Austrian policy of provocation and its approval hy Germany Even without the knowledge of the terribly incriminating German and Austrian secret documents, especially those published since the revolution, the final responsibility for the war was at that time clearly enough to he seen. ’Hint the imperialistic greed of ali countries was the fundamental condition 01 the war .... does not minimise the heavy guiltiness of those Governments which lit ~L east the accumulated comhnsiihles to the flumes. The kindling torch was the Austrian ultimatum to Serbia, the war against Serbia, which was so frivolously begun, the whole i riminal German- \ust rian "va-hanque’' policy, which . . . wtr. hound to bring into action Russian impcriali-m. This insandy provocative policy was daily attacked in tie sharpest terms In iho whole nh»th.' Socialist I'iV'S of Germany light it | j to lhe declaration of the stale of siege. When. however, Germany answered the Russian mobilisation with a declaration of, war Titieism became dumb, and the Socialist and internationalist conscience was still.” Harr Stroehcl condemns Lite altitude of the .Majoiitv Socialists, but acknowledges that a refusal to vote the war credits would probably have meant the destruction of the party, and would have tin, tilen: d the verv existence of

its officials. However, their co-opera-tion was anything hut grudging ami lukewarm. They were most vigorous supporters of the war; they talked of annexations as loudly a- the mosi jingoistic junker. 'Especially during the | firs; apparently evci whelming successes loj the German arms, numerous social j democratic editors and deputies made no secret, of their annexationist inclinations.” Russia was to he broken up into its c« list it min Stales and tendered politically impotent. England was ro lie deprived of the mastery of 'lie seas. Belgium, Roland, and other border States were to he dismembered and, with Austria, the Balkans and Turkey linked up with a powerful Gcrmen Empire. Stalwarts >uch as ( tin nw. cue-time editor of "Vnrwaei L." and for ‘JO years tlie protagonist in the campaign against imperialism and militarism, publicly recruited. "The right of nations to political independence,” lie said, "is mere ideology.” •Matter, the Bavarian leader, declared Unit Ihe feeling in favour of annexations was understandable "among people who have seen how many thousands have shed their life’s blood." In the Reichstag in April. 19l!>, SV-hicdemaim. another Socialist leader, ohseivcl that anyone who imagined "that alter all these events not. a solitary boundary mark would he displaced must he a

child ill ir..lilies.” Herr Strochel iimlli])los instances <>l such "aunexal ionist anil imperialistic admissions" on tin-

part nl tin' prominent Social Demo crats. They were in no sense, lie con-

tinues. it* in porn ry confusions and r>.! i<' rrations. They corresp•milt’d with the. considered ideas put I'onvard by the theorists of this school in hooks and pamphlets. Alter Russia threw up the sponge a croat strike was organised in Germany with the object nl preventing the eoereion of Russia, and ending tinwar. The Majority Socialists assumed control of the situation only to termin' ate the strike as rapidly and harmlessly as possible. '‘Herman militarism could do what it liked—rage through tlie Ukraine like a Berserker, sacrifice oil,mill proletarians in Finland to lho White Terror, through its support of j the reai lion, enforce upon Russia llso mot lirii!stl kind of dioiated peace the German Right Socialists approved without a murmur the new war credits."

Another my l Ii exploded hv Tferr Si ruche! is that the Allies' victory was due to "the collapse of the home front." and that the German armies could have prolonged the resistance. Actually the revolution and the subsequent confession of defeat were the result of the hopelessness of Germany’s position in the west. Already in September, 101 S, the army, save for picked units, was almost demoralised. The men no longer obeyed the officers. Regiments transferred from the east to the west mutinied. Whole hands of troops crossed the Dutch frontier. Of the drafts .sent to the front, no fewer than 10 per rent simply went back. Berlin, Cologne, and other large towns were flooded with deserters. "The war weariness of the army which had long been apparent. . . . became s.o marked that any attempt to continue the war i would have been pure folly. The peace, torcerl both by the army and by the country, saved Ludendorlf from the most colossal defeat in world history, and Germany from a still more fearful •catastrophe." In point of fact- the revolution began in one of the services with the revolt of the navy. "It was not mere chance that the open rebellion ! started at the Imperial port of Kiel," as the sailors and dockyard had, during the last years of the war "distinguished themselves by their resolute spirit." Resolute is an apt word. The crews were firmly resolved not to go out and meet the British fleet. Herr Stroebel declares (ns many have done before him) that the immediate cause of the outbreak was the “unspeakably criminal” decision of the high command to challenge tlie English once more in a

great sea battle. Moreover, it is quite true that ‘‘it was not mere chance” that the mutiny began at this great naval arsenal. For twenty-nine months the German navy, save lor the submarines and a few light patrol craft, had lain idle at its moorings. Demoralisation thrives on inactivity. THE GREAT EXHIBITION. As the date of the British Empire Exhibition draws nearer it is interesting to understand some of the colossal preparations taking place at 'Wembley, England, where the Exhibition is to he held. It was my good fortune to he conducted over Wembley a few weeks before the disastrous Cup Final in April. The ill-fated Wembley Stadium is, in itself, worthy of a few remarks. Architecturally, the stadium arena is reminiscent of the ancient Colosseum at Rome—an oblong without corners. The site was originally a golf course, and the rectangle of turf, which measures 120 yards by 05, is said to be equal to the new Roehampton lawn tennis courts. Provision has been made for a football, cricket, baseball, or hockey field, lawn tennis courts, and an athletic track. The dressing rooms hold 100 players. In the grandstands and sloping terraces, accommodation was provided for 120,500 spectators. ' which made Wembley easily the largest sports stadium in the world. The strength of the stands was exhaustively tested hy mobilising 2500 heltv workmen on to the hoards. I nfortuuately, over 200.000 people tried to gain admission on that tatelul day in April, and indescribable chaos resulted. The casualties were estimated at - 000, and the melee goes down to posterity as "The Battle of Wembley.’ The ground has been leased to the English Football Association for a term of I2] years. Wembley is within 15 min-

utes of Piccadilly Circus hy underground railway. On Cup Final day a Iwo-minute train service was run, hut even that was inadequate to cope with the enormous volume of traffic. Many Australians believe that the exhibition is to he housed in ilie Stadium itself. This is a quite erroneous impression. The Stadium stands in the corner of a huge field. It is in this field that the various Exhibition buildings are in the course of erection. The scene in 1921 will closely resemble Show Day in Sydney, though the buildings

ami entertainment booths will he on a much more lavish and ambitious scale. The approved design for the Australian building calls for a costly and beautiful structure. The architect has been verv successful in instilling Australian characteristics into his work, and our exhibit, are assured of a worthy presentation. Australia is fortunate in having a very advantageous position allotted to her. The whole of Wembley presents a hum of activity at present. The furthermost British dominions arc in he represented at the Exhibition, and now buildings are springing up daily around the Stadium. One tceilx tin great imagination to rcali.-e the enormous problems of organisation and management that coni'rent the executive council, under Sir dames Stevenson. The traflic- problem,

for instance, is a thing that requires all the organising ability of the council. as the numbers of visitors to England in 1921 will he phenomenal. The British Empire Exhibition is the world’- greatest business undertaking, anil the dominions have invested L'750,1100 in the project. The Home Government expects to receive U 150.()!)() income from the entertainments tax, and probably a further L'.TOO.O'.IU in income tax when the exhibition properly is transferred to the Assets Company. At any rate, ii behoves Australia to give her whole-hearted support to the Exhibition. It oilers a world-wide advertisement and sale for our product-: and national resources that we can all afford to neglect.