Saturday, July 26, 1919 THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE 11 The Conquest of Capitalism (Continued from last issue. From the Finnish Communist Paper Viesti surprised the workers. The sudden mobilizTHE HE methods used by British Imperialism Published at Stockholm.
ation swept them into the ranks, in front of have varied greatly: lashing the negros Translated by OKSANEN the revolvers of the officers. The treason of in the rubber industry until the blood oozed the representatives of the Social Democrats from their pores, starving the Hindu by has severed all connections with the unions, in supporting a defensive war confused the robbing him of his wheat, fleecing the Mexican even demanded slave contracts; to get employ achievement: obediently, yes, enthusiastically, issue. So capital for once could admire its and the workers of Tammerfors in the cotton industries. Such is the history of the making unionism. Everywhere in the world the ever ment with the Steel trust a man must repudiate millions marched to their doom for the interest of wealth from blood from the blood of the increasing organized workers found themselves of the exploiter, at the same time that behind slaves, semi slave people (coolies. wage workers, small tillers, lumber workers, of barbaopposed by more rapidly increasing organized the front line the peace was signed and all the powers of body and mind were sacrificed to rian and civilized people. Still more wealth, either failed or became defeats. Even though the war idols.
and still more territory in which to invest it!
some groups (English miners) succeeded in Capital could not dream for anything more.
Still more colonies, and still more battleships getting a few concessions, figures will prove It hauled in the gold and lived in luxury. But and professional soldiers to maintain discip that they did not keep pace with the increase a crash came.
line!
in the cost of living, to say nothing about the crash was bound to come. The wonderful So long as England led the other nations industrially and was master of the seas; she improvement of conditions. It is not strange system of capital was constructed on a treathat the form of organization (international, cherous foundation. Humanity cannot live on boasted of not needing duty on her free industrial. and the methods of attack (mass slaughter. Revolutions came. First in Russia, trade for the support of her monopoly: But action, general strike) became subjects of vital then in Bulgaria, Austria and Hungary, finally when competition appeared, the English capdiscussion.
in Germany. It is about to begin in the land italists demanded protective tariff to unite the The world war broke out. It continued for of the cocky, crowing, English American capmother country and her colonies against the rest of the world.
more than four years. Here we shall not disitalist. There also the necessities of life are The developing industry of the exhausted; production has served death only.
United cuss its causes. Let it, however, be observed States had all it could do in satisfying the dethat the imperialists of both groups have exCapital will not have time to swing it over to serve even the livelihood of the slaves; it mand of the United States, but this demand posed the sins of the enemy countries, but was protected by high tariff. In 1898 the these wrongs will be greatly overshadowed by has time for nothing else, at present, but war.
United States started on an ocean adventure, the graft of the foreign embassies disclosed by It must maintain discipline in its colonies and provinces (India and Ireland. It must attempt returning victorious over Cuba, the Philippines, the revolution.
and some Pacific islands. She entered the It is, however, important for us to note that to strangle the revolutionists of Germany, race of Imperialism; began to strive for world this war has exposed the rottenness of CapitalAustria, Russia. And it must discipline its power. France schemed for Algiers, Russia ism. In the beginning it elevated the deveown workers as well as struggle against Socialism throughout the world.
for the far East, Italy for North America. lopment of Capitalism to an apparently high Austria for the Balkans, Japan for Korea and stage. The predicted panic did not come, and But still very few understand that the only remedy for these horrible conditions is Socialthe islands, Germany for Africa and Mesopo the centralized bankers cunningly handled the tamia, and all of these for China. Statistics whirlpool of immense sums by manipulating union men, who during the war have prostiism. Certain Social Democrats and trades indicate, that in 1876 only ten per cent of paper. The organizing ability of the capitaliAfrica was colonial territory, but in 1900, this ists became evident in the admirable system tuted themselves in the service of Imperialism, had jumped to 90 per cent, The subject terby which the machinery of the banks, trusts.
are trying to convince the world that Capitalritory of Polynesia had increased from 56 corporations, and trade unions united ism is unconquerable today. They argue that per cent in 1876 to 98 per cent in 1900. În under the supervision of the government and it still has the possibility of life, that demoAmerica and Asia there is no unsubjected ter its officials (also numerous citizens organiz cracy will eliminate its most glaring faults, ritory. Between the years 1884 and 1900 Eng ations) into one great unit. This machinery that it is possible to do away with secret dipland grabbed 3, 700, 000 square miles with a was created to serve death, to destroy the lomacy, without abolishing the secrecy of population of 54 million; France 3, 600, 000 human race. Its work has been very thorough: business, that we can create a league of nasquare miles, population 36, 000, 000; Germany on the slaughter fields twenty million have tions and can gradually introduce Socialistic reforms.
a million square miles with a population of been crippled and killed. Plague and pestil14, 000, 000; Belgium 900, 000 square miles, ence have raged among the soldiers and civi This is all imagination; still worse, it is a 30, 000, 000 people; Portugal 800, 000 square lians. Organized and unorganized starvation dangerous deception. It is unnecessary to miles, 9, 000, 000 people.
has gnawed the lives from tens, hundreds, yes. argue that Capitalism hour has struck. It When we remember that capital seeks for millions of men, women and children not only made its system serve death and rottenness, openings in strange areas we will readily un in the warring but also in the neutral coun therefore it must pass away. It desired to derstand that the work of the diplomats in tries. And as the industrial machinery was subject the worker still living into a slavery creases. It becomes the duty of the embassy transformed into meat grinding machines, so which would be the stepping stone to star not only to attend to political affairs but also the substitutes, chemical slops which poison vation, disease, misfortunes on the job, and to look after business matters. Battleships the vitals of the body, have taken the place of slaughter in future wars. By these means it and large armies are then needed to carry out food.
drives the workers on the road to revolution.
the plans of the embassy. Moreover, at the Politically the phenomenon of the imperial Unfortunat are those who laim to be of same time that the prepartion for the war istic war proved to be just as horrible. Unthe workers and Socialists but are not organoffered the best opportunity for investments hesitating despotism was declared on the first izing the revolution nor fighting in the ranks (national loans) and the best market (pre day of the war. In the guise of military neof the revolutionists. Those workers who paration for the army. it became the first cessity strict censorship was established. listen to their stories find no time to organize, duty of the patriotic newspapers to support Those opposing war (Jaures, etc. were shot nor have any real part in the fight. This leads all clamour for war.
as a warning to others. The Bourgeoisie to ever increasing number of the victims.
Imperialism and the Workers. instituted a persecution of the bourgeois These victims become the burden of the comHow did the economic evolution whose pol peace advocates, and any of these, parti promising Socialists.
itical manifestation became Imperialism affect cularly in America, who opposed the war were Are not the workers ready for victory?
the workers? The experience of Finland was given prison sentences from 10 to 20 vears. They are! They must conquer. What they that the organization of the employers made In Russia the Bolshevik representatives in the now lack they will learn in action. This has the winning of strikes more difficult. Fre Duma were sent to Siberia. Karl Liebknecht been proved in Russia. It does not pay them quently, behind many industries, a glimpse of in Germany, McLean in England, and numer to go to the capitalist school, for there their the bankers could be seen; the small business ous others were sentenced to long terms of ability and intelligence would only deterioman confessed that he would like to grant the imprisonment. No one knows the number of demands of the workers, but the bankers men shot as rebels and vicious men. the butchers to strip the workers of their weaprate. Furthermore, Capitalism is using its threatened to discontinue credit and to force courts martial of Hungary alone butchered ons. The workers must not drop their rifles, him into bankruptcy.
over ten thousand.
nor let go the machine gun. Capitalism desires We know that it has been the object of the The skilfully arranged reason for the war still to slaughter, and is slaughtering the worktrust to crush trade unionism. The steel trust. the enemy is attacking the fatherland. ers before long it must be slaughtered.
was