Crawford Among the German Orators.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 2, 8 December 1911, Page 13

Crawford Among the German Orators.

Archibald Crawford, editor of Johannesburg "Voice of Labor," who visited New.. Zealand some time ago, has had some varied experiences in working his way round the world. Following extracts from a letter to a Sydney comrade show what a Socialist will do. to gain- the- experience and knowledge that, travelling in many lands brings:-— !-'.■" "I have spent one hour out of every two 'down, down below in a hell-hole, shovelling and harrowing coal from a portion of; the ship's hold to tne 36 furnaces of the Minriewaska. I meant to write on.the way, but When my six hours' shift was ended only six hours rerhaincd'to? wash, 'eat, sleep, etc., before starting another shift, and I was so fatigued, my back ached so, and my band's were so blistered, that I had to cut out all! self-indulgence. Six hours on and six hours off were the conditions and the new chums got. the heavy loads.. .It was quite the hardest work I nave ever done. 1 got a-discharge book, the first entry in which describes mc as very good both for character and ability. I got a chance to sign for a return voyage, and can now describe myself as a "trimmer" among other things— not political, but sea-going. The Minnewaska is a 14,300-ton steam-: er, the biggest which sails up the Thames, aaid_ the first to start the big strike at Tilbury recently. "I was in Brussels when a big meeting took. place at which Vandervelde spoke. If I did not get all his words," I fully understood and interpreted his acting. He is out chiefly to impress the stamp of his personality upon society, and,, to. that extent, has to be treated with'suspicion. I went to Jena, via. Cologne, and heard the proceedings of the German Social Democratic party during the two final sittings of its conference. I heard Bebel, and talked to Karl Kautsky, Ledebour, Liebknecht, and others. I got a good impression of the German movement' "here. [ I also heard Bernstein./ he ..-fol-: j lowed'! Bebel's long speech, and had ' quite a differeu!t hearing. A full Congress of "about 600 listened intently to Bebel throughout, but Bernstein wasn't heeded, and had to appeal repeatedly to the chair to restore order. I leave in an hour or two for Leith (I am ! writing now from -Hamburg), and am not looking forward with pleasure to a 48-hours' sail across the North Sea. 1 hope to attend the Socialist Unity Conference in -Manchester. I am deliberately covering as much ground as possible now,,-.because I don't think I. will fever sacrifice so much again for travel. Since I have come to Germany—--whis-i.'per Tit not'abroad—l have stopped trar veiling third' class I ,' because there is a fourth! 1 don't'suppose my eight daystravel to •' Ostehd; Ghent, ; Brussels, Antwerp; Waterloo, Charleroi, Cologne, Jona, Berlin, and Hamburg will have cost mc more than a fiver, and I feel Ihave sained in knowledge in finitely.""