International Items

Industrial Unionist, Volume 1, Issue 9, 1 October 1913, Page 2

International Items

AMERICA. As usual, the American Labor Press lias news of many strikes and Class Struggle happenings. The I.W.W. is constantly increasing its activities; its eighth convention will be about over now. A kind of crisis in the internal affairs of the I.W.W. is manifesting itself: when weathered it will doubtless turn out to be nothing more than a sign of health. Tom Mann is in the Eastern States, and advocates ingnoring the Ballot-box.

BRITISH ISLES. The struggles and strikes at “Home” are as frequent as in America, and too numerous to set out in these brief notes. By reading between the lines of the daily press cables one can form an idea of the forces at work for the disintegnation of present society. A noticeable feature and encouraging sign about British strikes is the refusal of workers to be so easily bull-dozed by “ leaders ” of the type who function for reaction by attempting to throttle every revolt. MEXICO. A project is afoot in Mexico to bring about a Trade Union Congress. DENMARK AND SWEDEN. The following, culled from a letter to “Solidarity,” should be read with interest by working class Social Democrats and rail fitters : In the spring election here the Socialists made up with the Radical Lefts, who are dead set against Socialism. In several districts they withdrew their candidates and pledged their votes to the Radical candidates to defeat the Rights. Thus they traded and compromised most shamelessly, to get votes, with the promise that the Radicals, in turn, should vote for the Socialist candidates in other districts. In some places to get the votes of the small farmer and property man in the country, the Socialists took off the name “ social ” from their paper, and sent it to him with the name “ democrat ” on only. In all the Scandinavian countries they call themselves Social Democrats, and likewise their papers go by the same name. But in the vote-catching struggle they become “democrats” only. The Socialist, by this shameless method, came in the second largest party in the Rigsdag. And they have been celebrating the great, sweeping victory ever since. The king sent for Stanning, the greatest man among them, and had a consultation with him. This was another victory they advertised, by telling that the king himself respected and recognised them as a lawful party, and that therefore it was no longer any use for their, opponents to hold up the social democracy to frighten good citizens. But this was too raw for the workers; they couldn’t quite see why the king’s respect was very much of a glory; and this victory had to be strangled in its full flower. If anyone is in doubt about how a powerful Socialist, party will work, please come to Sweden and Denmark and be wise. And you will say, if you are honest, and not paid to tell a lie or get pie, that verily, the triumph of the Socialist party is the defeat of Socialism.

The Swedish workers are quite different from the Danish. They are called the French of the North, because they are more sentimental and much easier aroused. They have a lively imagination, and can easily get fired with an idea. In whatever the Scandinavian worker undertakes along revolutionary lines, the Swedes will take the lead. But they, too, are hampered with a reactionary labour movement, arid with political fakers. Nevertheless, the “ young Socialists,” as they call themselves, are a lively bunch that do an immense amount of agitation and education, and they have produced quite a respectable amount of literature and are thoroughly revolutionary. Their paper, “Brand,” has a large circulation. Altogether the Swedes look promising for future rebellious work. They also have a syndicalist organisation, and publish “ Syndikalisten ” in Malmo. When I asked the secretary why they published the paper in this little southern town instead of in a big centre, he said it was the only town where they could get the publishing done. Before the big strike of 1909 the revolutionists or syndicalists bored from within the old organisations, like they do in England and also Denmark to-day; but after the strike they pulled out and formed a separate organisation. The reactionary labor politician and the conservative labor leader here in Scandinavia are trying to kill the syndicalists by silence. There is hardly evef any reference to them made in either the labor or capitalist press. The small bourgeois may still go frantic over the word Socialist, but he will look complacently at the word syndicalism. If the syndicalist makes any fight for better conditions in the sliop without the consent of the labor leader, lie gets fired and blacklisted. A resolution was offered in the last craft union congress held in Copenhagen to throw out all the syndicalists, which did not carry.