The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, November 25, 1918, Page 8

T oAy T T P T AT Al Europe Astir With Revolution . - Ruling Classes Trying in Vain to Stem Tide Toward Rule of Workers— - Congress of Labor to Check Up Peace Moves - Washington Bureau, Nonpartisan League UT of this city of Washington there are being telegraphed, day by day, more contradictory and muddle-minded veports of the meaning of the swift po- litical changes going on in Eu- rope than ever were sent from any other spot on earth in modern times. Old-time poli- ticians, old-regime diplomats, old-order newspaper correspondents chosen for their loyalty to the families owning their respective papers—these men have been trying to understand the overthrow of autocracy by democratic revolution, and to some- how color the facts in a way to protect special pr1v- ilege in western Europe and America. The state department has been receiving definite reports of events and of the change in public senti- ment in every corner of the central powers as well as in the allied countries, which gave it full warn- ing that the revolutions were on the way. Presi- dent Wilson had all of these facts before him. He had this knowledge when he made his historic speech in New York City on the night of Septem- ber 27, in which he warned the statesmen of the world that they were losing touch with the “clear thinking” of their peoples, and that unless they understood the firm and plain democratic demands of these peoples, the “workaday people” of each nation, the statesmen would be “broken.” President Wilson is not alarmed. He has gone straight forward, giving every encouragement to the' revolutionary movements in Bohemia, in the Jugo-Slav territory in the south of Austro-Hungary, and in Vienna and Budapest, knowing well that the revolutionary governments would be radical. And so they have proved to be. In Germany, as the na- tion seethes with agitation against the military and junker classes, there have been two forces working constantly to hasten the revolution for democracy. General Ferdmand Foch, eommander-ht-chlef of lll allied forces, whose successful military operahm have loosened the grip which the junkers in ‘the central powets had on their peonles. ',.1':;, s “the revolutionary tide. ing the same game—appealing to the bankers of One has been the example of Russia, despite all of its blunders, and the other has been the underlying faith of the German democrats in the readiness of democratic America, personified to them%n Presi- dent Wilson, to help them back to the respect of their fellowmen. They have known that Wilson stood for broader human liberty—a liberty which could never be guaranteed by less than a recon- ciliation and general league of the peoples of all the nations. WIDE SWEEP OF REVOLUTIONARY TREND These old-fashioned molders of public opinion who cling to their old haunts in Washington ask one question despairingly: “How shall we save the world from bolshevism ?” By “bolshevism” they generally mean any interference with the big business and mili- tarist regime which came to its full flower in Germany and Austria before the war, and has always had its devotees in this country. The answer to their question is: “You can not. Your big business and militarist regime is dying; Europe is now reaping the results of several generations of forcible denial of peaceable reform. Evolution has been prevented by the autacratic rul- ers and their special interest support- ers with the necessary result that the pent-up indignation of the exploited people now breaks forth in revolution. The central powers and perhaps -the Russian ruling class went into the present war as a means of quieting the swelling demand for reform at home. They have failed in the des- Peace- loving people like .our citizens nat- urally have strong misgivings at revo- lution, but they should remember that we once had to take the bloody road to secure self-rule. The enemies of de- mocracy everywhere will attempt to blacken these new-aspiring peoples by calling names and scattering reports of so-called atrocities. Be on your guard. Keep in mind that names do not mean much, that we are far from the scene of action, and that we should trust the common people abroad rather - than our kept press at home. perate gamble against justice. it is almost dead. 1Its death certificate will be sign- ed at the peace conference that is soon to be as- sembled.” Revolution in Russia brought Kerensky and his mildly socialistic government to the top, after the middle-class ministry failed to receive support. Kerensky fell when the Russians lost faith in his pledge to bring them peace. Lenine and his soviet government ruled by satisfying pitilessly the de- mands of the revolutionary masses of Russia for - greater and greater humiliations of the old ruling class,, and by a masterly reorganization of the fragments of Russian industrial life in the midst of civil war and external war. Bulgaria has driven out one kmg and overthrown his successor and set up a peasant republic since ‘her army collapsed and sued for peace. Austria has formed a whole group of separate’ governments- in the past few weeks, and most of . them are revolnhonary and radical. Early in October, it is declared, Prince Rupprecht' of Bavaria began sending out wireless messages to the allied world, saying that Russian bolshevism threatened the whole of Europe, and that if Ger- many should be erushed, there would be no stopping German bankers were play- Franee and England to call off the war before the 5 one reliable dilne against Russlan rad:callsm should fall. i But the ‘war went oh. 'l‘he military leade!s didnuheedtheahrm,andl’rmdgntWflm, ., dxd not w.rry overflle “peril ofdrevolution” ~.do The national Capitol as seen from the Botanical Gardens. Our government probably has the decid- ing voice in the world struggle between autocracy ' and democracy, with powerful internal influences being brought to bear to swing it in the wrong direction. masses in England and France and Italy are enthusiastic backers of his “anti-militarist pro- gram for a League of Nations, it may be guessed that he felt that any undue anxiety for French and British bankers would be polit- ical and social interference with the nghts of his fnends, the European workers, in whose hands is every revolutlonary movement A STRUGGLE OF TITANIC- FORCES Now the peace congress is coming. From every quarter the reactionary elements are flocking to- ward Paris, determined to prevent by trickery the creation of the League of Nations—the Nonpar- tisan League of the World. Every anti-democratic group that the German imperial army has set up along the border of Russia, and every reactionary element that has been expelled by revolution by an . emancipated people, is trying to secure recognition from the allies in order that it may be heard against the delegates of revolition—the delegates of werkingmen and peasants and soldiers and the “intellectual proletariat” of Europe. If the men who pass upon the credentials of dele- gates in this convention of the human race shall vote according to class prejudice and class hatred or shall yote in fear of the masses of the people, then Presi- dent Wilson will be beaten in his supreme effort to bring bloodshed to an end with the surrender of the German armies. - The vote which excludes the spokesmen of revolution from that peace congress will be the signal for revolutionary flames to break forth. - Where, and how fiercely, no man dare say’ All the masses of Europe ask, as the reports coming to our government show, is that wars . be made henceforth impossible by the estab- lishment of democracy and the abolition of- militarism. - Democracy for Europe means pub- lic ownership and democratic control of the industries ‘as well as the political machinery, - Europe is gomg to suffer famine before this demgeracy is won, but the result can not be in Democracy will prevail. i tlaber and Socialist movements of the world have voted to hold a congress of their own, in the samg city and at the same #ime ‘as. the official eongress. They will keep watch on the ac- tion' of the official dxplomats. They . will vote recommendatxons which the dxplomuts w1ll be mse receive with respect.. " % Workers from the fields, the orgamzed farmers America -and Australia and New Zealand wfll “ ; “through of this SC