da. December 21, 1918 THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE n. of bourgeois liberalism. All through the war The Labor Situation They appeal to the commonsense of the capitalists, worked for reforms rather than revolution, and to their patriotism, to their humanity.
In reality the outbreak of the revolution they showed an WITHIN the past few weeks the labor question they are endeavoring to sound a warning without nation to support the Ebert government. Lode. has leaped into prominence. Not only are the letting the workers know the potentialities of coming represents the most radical faction of the Inde official representatives of organized labor getting events, they know that wages will take a decided lents and will in all probability stand with the anxious but even the upper classes are beginning to drop as soon as the labor market becomes flooded, as the revolution progresses, but Barth parti be solicitous about the welfare of the workers that some mployers will challenge a strike secure in ion in the government would throw a doubt upon Schwab, Redfield, Caldwell and similar captains of the knowledge that an overflowing labor market furposition, unless he was in the government for the industry and leaders of the reactionary Civic Feder nishes a plentitude of strike breakers, but they also purpose of Tuesday actions.
ation. All round there is a feeling of uneasiness know that, with the spread of Socialism in Europe Che greatest bulwark to the Ebert government was which arises not from any scruples of conscience, and the general awakening of thought among the loubtedly the presence of the Allied troops on the but from fear.
masses, big industr. struggles can only result in ine, and the fear of Allied intervention which it The civil peace between capital and labor, pro disaster for the capitalists.
os continually holding over the heads of the people claimed by Gompers at the time of this country Schwab furnishes an example of the far seding some time past the bourgeois press of the Allied entrance into the war, is over. It is true that this type of capitalist. In a recent speech devoted to the untries has ber circulating the rumor that the peace was sometimes violated by one side or the wide possibilities before American capital, he draws other but in the main it tied that section of the workers the attention of the capitalists to the necessity of their ert governme las asked for the Allied occupation Berlin, but e wish is probably father to the affiliated to the American Federation of Labor, hand joining the labor cause. We must exert all our bught as any such invitation would remove the chief and foot. The War Labor Board, which was estab efforts in order that the workers should work and ason for the government continuance its guaran lished by the government for the purpose of prevent be content. Things must be done in such a way that of the orderliness of the revolution, preventing ing strikes, announces that it will henceforth only they will regard the situation with our eyes and aid tion by the Allies.
intervene when called upon by both sides. It is true us in our work. We must affect a closer contact that a few strikes did eventuate in spite of its labors, with the workers. We must patiently listen to their After Tuesday demonstration it is evident that that in some cases the employers refused to submit side and must act so that they will patiently listen to e German workers and soldiers see their way clear to its rulings but in the main it simply forced the ours. Mr. Scwab proposes to reject the old methods, ismuch as they are determined to establish Social workers to submit to compulsory arbitration and suc for, in his opinion, they might bring about a catastThey recognize that Allied intervention is not ceeded in keeping them quiet. Gompers and Co. saw rophe which would prove extremely dangerous to factor in the sum if they desire Socialism, because to it that they did remain quiet, but the war was their American industry.
ith the establishment of a Socialist state their bour great aid in this respect, preventing the bosses from But the proletariat of the United States is beginnoisie will appeal for Allied intervention, while the squeezing the workers too tight while keeping the ing to see the light. Unrest is beginning to develop actionaries of the Allied countries will call for the workers from asserting themselves from patriotic which indicates an awakening from the heavy and cupation of Germany as soon as it is clear that the motives, besides supplying them with plenty of work unhealthy sleep into which they have been lulled both a of bourgeois democracy is not acceptable to the and fabulous wages.
by their foes and by their false friends.
tman peop! will not matter who heads the cialist government, if it is Socialist intervention With the war end, however, capital again began to insist upon its rights. The noise of the peace Bolshevikjabs Il come, if the reactionaries of both Germany and the Allies have their way.
celebration had hardly subsided when a prominent NLY a short time ago most people spent their representative of capital forgot to be discreet and spare time writing to the newspapers denying Apparently the German people see that they have stated that the time was ripe for the abolition of the their pacifist proclivities, now even the Kaiser aly the choice of Socialism and probable intervention eight hour working day and a return to pre war wage is emphatic in affirming his pronounced pacifism.
y the Associate Powers, or bourgeois democracy. standards. Gompers, of course, had to issue a public Truly, truth is eternal.
The press of the Allied countries clearly points out defy to this gentleman, but after a few paragraphs wish for intervention if disorder ensues in Ger in the press the matter quietly dropped.
Lloyd George became very much annoved because jany, and, while at the time this term was being But breakers are ahead. unemployment is approach the British Labor Party contains men who do not labor irst applied to Russia it left some doubt as to what ing, wages are dropping. The suspension of war with their hands. He urged the workers of England constituted disorder, it is now clear that disorder contracts has already thrown thousands on the market, to refuse to vote for these non manual workers and neans the establishment of a Socialist government and the haphazard demobilization of the troops at modestly offered himself as an alternative. In other by the workers and peasants. Such a government present being carried out is still further swelling the words: of two evils choose the worst.
means the expropriation of the capitalists and land ranks of the unemployed. The vice Chairman of the owners, and this is what constitutes disorder to the unemployed Bureau of the Labor Department in com It is now fairly clear that the Bolsheviki were not hourgeoisie.
menting on the situation refers to the fact that the German agents, but that not a few Germans were uch a government also means the spreading of War Department, for some reasons unknown, has Bolshevik agents very much to the discomfiture of olutionary propaganda in the adjacent countries, found it necessary to begin demobilization of the army the German Junkers.
abolition of secret diplomacy, a definite revolu. without considering whether or not the soldiers are ary alliance with Russia, a strengthening of the needed in industry. He points to the fact that among Says Arthur Brisbane, the well known prohibitionwer of the workers everywhere, a weakening of these discharged soldiers thousands of agricultural ist: international ring of Capitalism and these are workers are to be found, who at this season of the The mob (of Russians) that enjoyed murdering order to bourgeois Imperialism. It also means year will be unable to find work on the farms and helpless Jews under the Czar discovers that it needs anding basis of comparison for the workers of will necessarily have to turn to the industrial centers for work. If they are successful in obtaining employ the leadership of an East Side New York sweat shop something more than the vague word freedom and countries whereby they may judge their own ment it will be hard to withraw them in the spring worker to solve its problems.
lition and comparisons are odious.
when they will be needed on the farms.
Of course if Russia was under the leadership of a here is no middle way. government cannot. half Capitalist and half Socialist. And there days notice with only enough money in their pockets it wouldn even matter whether he came from New The soldiers are being demobilized, after a few sweat shop owner everything would be alright, no extremes either. There is only Capitalism to enable them to reach their destinations and keep York or not. Though the men now executing the ocialism. The German people are faced with the them for, at most, a few weeks. In many cities dis orders of the Russian people never worked in a New ion. They must choose Capitalism and all that ans to the workers, or they must choose Socialcharged soldiers are already found without a cent York sweat shop, they seem to have a vague idea that and it is coming increasingly clear that unless sweat shops do Hourish in democracies.
and all its consequences. No amount of vacillaturgent measures are taken in the immediate future, can change the situation.
the bread line, the vast throngs of shelterless, money Anyway it is easily seen that Arthur is determined lesday results show that the tendency in Grer less men and wonien, the results of unemployment to be displeased with Russia methods. He didn is to choose Socialism. The next few days will will become general thoughout the country, as they like it when the Jews were being slaughtered, although whether or not the German workers can make were in 1914. Only this time the unemployed will he kept his feelings well under control when the Czar choice unfalteringly.
not be the supine, beaten unthinking mob of 1914. In was functioning, and he doesn like it when they are they choose haltingly, going towards the left but this army of unemployed will be men, and women not being slaughtered.
throwing backward glances towards the past, too, who have become accustomed to the idea that the Independent Socialists will form the next they are of some value to the country, that in its Mayor Hylan of New York wants all alien agitators. ent and the definite conquest of the revolu time of need it was to them the country turned. deported. We suppose that what has happened to he still lie in the future, but if they choose fear These facts are not lost sight of by the industrial other members of the trinity, Hearst, Hylan ind did the Russians, then the rise to power of barons of this country, but it will be a race between Hohenzollern, is making the worthy mayor nervous.
tacides with Liebknecht at their head is greed and foresight and the indications are that greed and the only task lying ahead of the Ger. will win. Anxiety as to the outcome of these condi The republicans have become converted to the idea nle is that of consolidating and maintaining tions are manifest in the speeches of the more ad of a League of Nations, as have Lord Robert Cecil, lution a herculean task, but still fitted to vanced of the captains of industry, when they hypo it looks as if the whole affair was going to end in an can choose fearlessly.
critically pretend to defend the workers interests.
international Trust company.