BolshevismBourgeoisieCapitalismSocialismSovietWorkers MovementWorking Class

THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE Wednesday, December 18, 1918 Japan and Siberian Intervention IBERIAN intervention was first undertaken by By Sen Katayama ernment of capitalists. Only its body represents the the Terauchi Ministry, the predecessor of the Seiyukai; its tail is the landed interests, while its present Hana government. It was this interven The Hara ministry has been very favorably report neck and head are industrial and commercial capital.
tion that was one of the causes of the great food riotsed in the foreign press as the first of the Japanese In itself it contains the germ of the coming conflict of that occurred all over the country just at the time of party governments whose premier is a commoner, interests. The Seiyukai represents the Mitsui influthe departure of General Otani for Siberia to com without any title. Truly Hara is the recognized lead ence, while the Kenseikai, the opposition party, repmand the Allied Army. The unpopularity of the Si er of the Seiyukai, the majority party of the lower resents the Iwasaki Mitsubishi money power. The berian expedition and the popular demonstration house of the Japanese parliament, but he is an op late governor of Kyoto, Mr. Kiuchi, now in prison against the militarism of the Terauchi ministry, in the portunist in his political faith and conduct. He was on account of an election scandal, is a son in law of form of fierce food riots, were the chief causes of Minister of the Interior under the Yamamoto ministry Iwasaki Mitsubishi, a millionaire, as is also Mr. Kato, the fall of the government.
and even supported the burcaucratic government of president of the Kenseikai. Here is the beginning of Baron Uchida, the former ambassador to PetroPrince Katsura and that of his predecessor, Terauchi. a conflict between two grent money powers.
grad and present Minister of Foreign Affairs, led the The only difference between this government and As the struggle for power Ixetween the money pow.
fight against intervention in Siberia, and finally suctlut of the former premier is that Ilara is neither a ers, clan powers, industrial and commercial powers ceeded in overthrowing Terauchi. If he possesses any count nor a marquis, but simply Mr. Hara. This may and the landlords develops, each and all these people conscience, his first act as Minister of Foreign Af.
scen of very great importance to some who are ac. will more or less attempt to cajole the majority of fairs should be the withdrawal of the Japanese troops istry is not a popular government at all. It is, how.
customed to the usage of Japan, but the Hara min. the common people. In this conflict the people pow.
from Siberia.
cr will be strengthened.
ever, not a clan government, inasmuch as it was not Comrade Sakai analysis of the Hara ministry is Even under the Terauchi ministry the Japanese dominated by either the Chosiu or Sassin clans as very interesting and very true, but he omitted one press frequently characterized the sending of troops were all the former ministries; it is distinctly a capi important figure in that ministry: Minister of the to Siberia as a meaningless act, or more severely talist government supported by the influence of the Army Tanaka. Tanaka, representing the Chosiu clan, as an outrageous proceeding, but still the Japanese clans. An incisive characterization of the Hara min is a well known Japanese general the von Moltke of soldiers are in Siberia. All we know about the atti istry is given by Comrade Sakai in The New So Japan and an arrlent advocate of intervention in Si.
tude of the Hara government towards Russia and the ciety, the only Socialist monthly published in Tokyo: beria. As long as this imperialist is Minister of the Russians is that so far it has not expressed any inimi The Hara ministry, a ministry of capital, which Army, the policy of Japan towards Russia will be cal feeling towards the Bolsheviki. Premier Hara is termed a People government, is formed. Mr. dominated by militarists. However, the destruction has even gone so far as to state that his government Noda, Minister of Transportation, represents the oi German militarism and the miserable fall of Kaiserwill recognize any stable government in Russia, Bol Fukuoka Seiyukai. He is called a minister of the ism will be a check on the Japanese militarists, while sheviki or otherwise.
people, but really represents Mitsui, the millionaire, Uchida influence will be strengthened by the power Japan foreign policy, or, rather, lack of foreign and the cotton and coal industries of Japan. Mr. of Bolshevism in Europe.
policy, is inherently weak and is consequently easily Nakabashi, Minister of Education, represents the The Hara ministry is a camouflage popular governinfluenced by the other capitalist nations. But it is millionaires of Fujita and Osaka, and also the Osaka ment, a party government in name, but in reality domapparent that the Hara government will recognize the Merchant Marine Company. Mr. Yamamoto, Min inated by the Japanese capitalists and at bottom by Bolsheviki government as it becomes increasingly clear ister of Agriculture and Commerce, and Mr. Taka the same old autocratic influences. At the same time that it is the stable government. The prediction, made hashi Minister of the Treasury, represents varied this corrupted, capitalistic and oppressive government while he was still ambassador to Petrograd, then the financial and industrial interests. Mr. Tokoname, will hasten the final crash of the impending revolution seat of the Russian Soviet Republic, that Bolshevism Minister of the interior, represents the money power The recent awakening of the workers in Japan is was the world wide power that will eventually domi and the clan interests of the Sassiu. While Mr. Hara nothing remarkable, but they have already realized nate Europe first Austria Hungary, then Germany represents the Seiyukai as a whole: he, at the same their power by the recent riots the power of their and finally end the prsent war, shows that Uchida time, looks after the interests of Furukawa, the copper hunger. Bolshevism will reach Japan soon. The must have been impressed by the Bolshevik ideas of king of Japan.
Japanese workers are preparing for it as the capitalfreedom. But now he is the foreign minister of the It is a party government as against the clan or ist exploitation increases and the government becomes present government.
bureaucratic government. But in reality it is a gov ever and ever more oppressive and brutal.
Divide and Rule DIVID IVIDE and rule such is one of the basic prin sible. Of course, the matter changes when the As experience shows the labor movement loses ciples of the imperialistic policy. With this thing concerns the possible disurſion of such a a great deal where national conflicts and disagreeprinciple in mind, imperialists among the Allies people. The rumor that Bavaria intended to sep. ment dull the edge of the class struggle. There are being guided while they aid and deepen the arate from Germany was met with loud approval. were cases, as, for instance, in Bohemia, where separatist movement in the former Empires of the Such an atttitude is quite natural: the imperial numerous proletarian elemente went over to the Hohenzollerns and Hapsburgs. The more Chinese ists among the Allies need a weak, broken up Ger ranks of petty bourgeois nationalists. We must Walls are built around the numerous peoples in many, since such a Germany will not become an not forget, also, the circumstances that the bounCentral Europe, the better will it be for Imperial imperialistic competitor. Moreover, Germany daries of small states in the highest degree nar.
ism and the worse for the cause of the proletarian may become a Socialist republic, and a strong so row the breadth of the revolutionary movement.
revolution. In this respect, the interests of the cialist Germany might become a deadly menace to Narrow national boundaries of a small state chain proletarian revolution and the interests of im international capitalism.
the hands and feet of the international moveperialists among the Allies are directly opposed Let us go further, however. The existence of ment. The horizon of a Socialist conception is Let us take the most striking example. The a long row of small independent states will cre narrowed and localized. The mire of petty, everyAustrian Germans quite definitely expressed their ate the political atmosphere of perpetual national day questions swamps the movement and it loses desire to join the German proletarian republic. conflicts, the classical example of which were the sight of the larger international perspective. It The interests of the proletarian revolution can Balkans. The sharks of the large State Imperial is a very good ground for the growth of miasms but gain because of this. Moreover, the decision ism find it very convenient to catch fish in the of petty national and opportunist activities.
of the Austrian Germans to join Germany is quite waters of mutual distrust and nationalistic pasThe interests of a revolutionary labor movenatural from the purely national point of view.
sions among the small states.
ment, the interests of the coming Socialist sysWhy, then, a question arises, should obstacles be tem of society, insistently demand a wide state One ought not go very far for examples. The created against this normal desire. The imperialists among the Allies, however, Polish nationalists in Galicia have already begun organization on the principle of federation. This have already begun to protest. The organ of a deadly struggle with the Ruthenian national is the ideal we must strive for. Its realization de Parisian plutocracy, the Matin, declares against ists. In the vicinity of Lvov and Prezmysl big pends on two conditions: on the strength of a Sa the political union of these two sections of the battles have already taken place. And this is cialist revolutionary movement in a given country and on the aid which may come from the So German people, and the president of the Chamber merely a beginning!
cialist movement in other countries. Only through The so called Great Serbian aspirations are far the concerted efforts of the whole conscious revof Deputies, Deschanel, states openly that the Allies will take care that this union should not be from being ideal. Between Serbs, Croatians and olutionary proletariat can we hope to overcome realized. Probably, threats will be used to trans Slovenes an open hostility has broken out. This the plottings of international Imperialism and its fer part of the contribution from the shoulders will play into the hands of Italian Imperialism. hirelings among the liberated nationalities. the Germans to the Austrian shoulders, or The enmity between Serbians and Bulgarians, it Federated Proletarian Republic in the former some such measures. The imperialists are always is understood. will not be liquidated with the Danube monarchy, a Federated Proletarian Reresourceful in choosing means it not by crook, war end. The far from friendly relations be public in the Balkans, a united Socialist Germany then by hook to attain their aims of plunder. tween Polish and Lettish nationalities will surely such, and such only, is the solution of the naA union of all Germano, from the noint of view result in open hostilities. It is not any better in tional controversy splitting these countries.
of the imperialista among the Allies, Inadmis Hungary, with her numerous Slav population. And this promotes Socialiam.