IS SOCIALISM DEAD?

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 161, 31 March 1916, Page 1 (Supplement)

IS SOCIALISM DEAD?

| GERMAN HYPOCRISY FULLY EXPOSED. Hitherto the dream of Socialists has been that of a world brotherhood, which would work for the welfare of the masses of all countries, fighting despotism and tyranny arising from capital, and in time transform the whole world, if not exactly into an Utopia, at any rate into a place where all men could 1 fraternize, abolish war, and be content in the knowledge that they were getting a fair share of the goods and wealth of the universe. How do we stand to-day, when Socialists, no less than other men, are striving to cut one another's throats' It is a question which Emile Rover, a member of the Belgian Parliament, has endeavoured to answer in a pamphlet, "eGrman Socialists and Belgium ' (Allen and Unwjn), while some very striking views and opinions are expressed in a preface by Emile \ andervelde, Minister of State and President of the International Socialist Bureau. For twenty years M. Yanderveloe has been working with the social democracy of Austria and Germany, forming " unforgettable, precious friendships." Nothing has been "more painful than seeing German social democracy, which we loved and admired and were accustomed' to take as an example, turn against us. declare its complete adherence to our enemies on their side, without entering a single word of protest or regret when the German arm'es fell upon Belgium m order to attack France the better.' THE GREAT BETRAYAL. M. Yandervelde believes that the mass of the working men in Germany aro now protesting, as far as they can, against the crimes and errors of Germanic Caesarism, hut as long as the Kaiser remains master in Germany it is futile to talk to us of peace. M. Roger goes farther. He traces how German Socialists betrayed their creed. He quotes the explicit and repeatedl admissions of German Socialists before the war, that the threat *o European peace was deliberately engineered from Vienna, and backed by the German Government. Then, on I the memorable August 4th, 1914, came : the great betrayal, and in spite of the pacific declarations the Germans had made five days l>efore at the Inter- ' national Socialists' council gathered at Brussels, 111 Socialist members of the German Parliament sat silent while war credits were voted unanimously. t Neither did they make any protest

against the treacherous, brutal, and j criminal invasion of Belgium. | TREACHERY AND DECEIT. From which it is evident that the Gorman Socialists were hypocrites ana cowards, who had probably been bought over by the German Government. We get an insight into the treacherous workings of the German Socialist iuind from the remarks niada by the German Socialists Noske and Koster, who, when they wont to Brussels and offered to procure flour for the starving Belgians from the German Civil governor, said that they could not understand why Belgian Socialists had opposed the German entrance into Belgium, inasmuch as the Belgians would have be on liberally recomepnsed for the losses they might have suffered. When something was said to them about Belgium's respect for international treaties and about her honour, Ko«ter replied that this was more middle-class unction. And this in sipte of the fact that one of the fundamental principles of International Socialism has been to pledge>t 3 members to defend the independence of small nations and the integrity of their territory. So much for German honour and the strength of German Socialism, which may 1m? said to have rung the knell of International Socialism.