War in the Balkans

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 92, 20 December 1912, Page 8

War in the Balkans

Instructive Declarations

RUSSIAN SOCIALISTS ON THE WAR.

The. International Socialist Bureau has sent out tlie loltawing manifesto, drawn up by tho central committee of the Russian Social-Democratic party:—

Comrades, Workers, and Russian CKizcns, —War has broken out in the Balkans bshveen Turkey and four states. A general European war has been foreseen, and due preparations for it are being made, in spite of tlie lying denials of Russia and Austria. The financial panics at Vienna and Berlin,

at Paris and London, indicate that J'hiropi.'an capitalists do not see tho possibiliiy <j! lw.'piii'r pyace in Kurope. All iCuropy wishes to laku part in the Balkan .-risis. They all pnd-.ssto intcri'cic in i'avor <>i' rci'dinis, and ev<Mi t,,r tii". iih'-riy <:•!' til" Balkan peoples. Bui, in i-iiiity, wauls a Asiatic Turkey and also to establish herself on t'n" B-ispliorus; Austria has f i: -,. ( ] o-rc" ( l v oyes <:ii Salonika: Italy «.v<ds'"A!l)ii!iiil ; Kiiji'laiul want:; Arabia; and Germany is scokin;.:; to obtain Anatolia. In the mc-antiinc-. in AVostern Europe and in America, tho stnniglo of the Sneialisti' pi'jlel'.u-int njr-unst. tho ; m i:.,-,i-i:-Ji---!.i" :MueriHi;ei!t- of the bour-jM'ui.-'-i" is b-Toniina. uioro bittoj- than ever. Tb" arc stirrinE up vrars. :■■:■■■] vet are alarmed becauso they know thai a world war mean a world revolution. In Eastern Europe, in tho Balkans, in Austria, and in Russia we see the masses oppressed by feudalism and many practices of the Middle Ages. The peasants of Bosnia-Herze-govina, and millions of feasants of Central Russia, are controlled by feudal proprietors. Tlie preying dynasties of tlie Hnnsbui'Es and tho Romanoffs aro of this feudal nation. A fedoral republic in the Balkans is the cry of our Socialist comrades in the Balkan countries. We rally round this solution of the real democracy, of the real friends of the working-class, in presence of the Russian monarchy, which is one of the most cruel, reactionary influences in the whole world. The international policy of Russian Czarism is an uninterrupted sequence of crimes and astonishing violence, of dirty intrigues against the liberty of nations, against the working-classes. Czarism throttles Persia with the aid of English Liberals; it is trying to undermine the Chinese Republic and to grab the Bosphorus. The Russian Social-Democrats protest with all their energy, in tho namo of the most vital interests of all workingfolks, against this infamous jingoism of war, and denounce it as an attempt to betray liberty. In a country like Russia, where thirty million peasants are dying of hunger, and where the authorities do not hesitate to assassinate hundreds of working-men and to torture thousands in the prisons of Siberia —in such a country it is first of all necessary to be freed from the oppression of Czarism. The Russian peasants should first try to escape from tho clutches of the large feudal proprietors and of monarchy. Only the revolutionary disappearance of Czarism can guarantee the free development of Russia and Eastern Europe. Only the victory of a Federal Balkan Republic, together with the triumph of a republic in Russia, can free hundreds of millions from the abominations of war, from painful oppression and exploitation in tho so-called times of peace. Tho Socialists of the Balkans have denounced the war with energy, and have bean followed in their denunciation hy the Socialists of Italy, Austria, and all those of Western Europe. To these millions of voices arc now joined ours, and we will continue our organisation against the monarchy of the Czar. Down with the monarchy of the Czar! Long live the Democratic Republic of Russia! Long live the Democratic Republic of the Balkans! Down with war! Down with capitalism! Lon£j live Socialism! Long live tlie International Revolutionary Social-Democracy! CREEK SOCIALISTS ON THE WAR. The following letter has been received hy tho International Socialist Bureau from the Greek Socialist Party :— Dear Comrades,—-Pseudo-Socialists, victimising the workers and playing into the hands of the capitalists, have become very active in throwing dust into the eyes of Greece. And now, on the occasion of the war, they are bent on deceiving Europe by falsifying the genuine Socialist opinion in Greece. I am empowered, therefore, by the Directing Committee of the Greek Socialist Party, 40 Rue Piree, Athens, to request you to ignore all circulars, appeals, information, statistics, etc., emanating from sources other than La Ligue dcs Travailleurs de la Grece, 40 Rue Piree, Athens, the London office of which is at 14 Park Square, London, N.W. Genuine Greek Socialists are unanimous with their comrades in Bulgaria, Turkey, Servia, etc. in considering that the war will be detrimental to the Balkan working-classes and that it has been undertaken in the interests of Balkan and European capitalism and political ambition exploiting the noble impulses and self-sacrifice of the peoples of Eastern Europe.—With fraternal greetings, FELICIA R. SCATCHERD, Vice-president of the Greek S.P. ITALIAN SOCIALISTS ON THE WAR. The Italian Socialist Party has also issued a strong manifesto against the war, in which it accuses the Italian Government of having done its part in bringing it about. OTHER VIEWS. I Dr. Drakoules, leader of the Greek Socialist Party, thinks that if the Balkan States win it will mean merely _ a substitution of Russian for Turkish oppression. He says the real issue is as to whether Russia, Austria, or Turkey is to rule in the Peninsula. The Socialist movement, lie thinks, will inevitably bo strengthened, and he sugI Kests that even a general European con- ' fiasration would be a good thing in some ' ways, as it would hasten the Social ! Revolution. i ■ The "Tribune Rnsse," edited by j Rnbanovitoh, which has been suspended j for some time, publishes at the head of its first number a declaration on the war, which it regards as due to Russian diplomacy.