CHAPTER I SOCIALISTS AND THE WAR IN OCTOBER, 1914, after three months of war in Europe, there appeared in the New York Call a political advertisement signed by the Socialist candidate for governor in which the voter was instructed that a vote for Socialism was a vote against war. In the same paper and in other Socialist publications were printed bitter attacks on the European Socialists for their surrender of principle to the dominant nationalism, equally fierce defences of their course as wise or necessary in the circumstances, and predictions as to the probable effect of international disaster on international Socialism. Through all the turmoil of opinions persisted a single idea about which the disputants seemed to show anything like unanimity: the idea that despite failure, backsliding, or treachery, a greater war, the class war, must be prosecuted to its triumphant conclusion. Socialists, like other human beings, were stunned by the murderous explo 3 sion, and for some weeks one knew not whether to admire the promptness with which they recovered their wits and began to put forth explanations of immediate facts and restatements of ultimate theory, or to distrust, along with all other journalism, expressions of beliefs so suddenly rushed into verbal form. Some knew too much; everybody knew too little. American Socialists, who through no virtue of their own were not in international conflict, and Italian Socialists, who, partly thanks to their vigorous influence on their government, lived in a country nominally at peace, were able to maintain the attitude of critical onlookers. the belligerent countries most of the Socialists and labor organizations abandoned important principles and went with their governments. Only a minority held fast, saw clearly through the smoke, and spoke amid the noise of war the message of true Socialism. In the prevalent madness Socialist reason, whether or not it is conspicuously steady in time of peace, shook in its seat. In Before the beginning of hostilities Socialists in all nations protested against the threatening war. They had subscribed to the general antiwar resolution of the International Socialist Congress of 1907 and to the resolution of the special International Congress convoked during ¿ the first Balkan War in 1912. These resolutions emphatically commit the Socialists to use every means possible to prevent war and to try by the menace of revolution to compel the governments to keep the peace. The following significant sentences occur: "By simultaneously rising in revolt against imperialism and every section of the international movement offering resistance to the government, the workers of all countries are bringing public opinion to bear against all warI like desire. Thus a splendid coöperation of the workers has been brought about which has already contributed much to maintain the peace of the world. The fear of the ruling classes that a revolution of the workers would follow the declaration of a European war has proved an essential guarantee of peace." This represents the belief and the intention of a majority of the Socialists of the world before the war, and many still hold at least in theory to the resolutions of the International Congresses. After the war broke out many Socialists receded from the international position in the direction of nationalism, and the rest were |