At the Socialist Peace Conference at Copenhagen, on January 16th and 17th, a report was made by a part of the Russian Socialists, including the Jewish and Caucasian organizations, perhaps a majority of all the Socialists of Russia. This report covers the same ground as previous statements, except that it makes a very careful differentiation between the positions of the two leading factions of Russian Socialists toward the war:

Great differences of opinion exist as to the causes of the war and the importance of its possible results. One group emphasizes general causes the capitalistic competition of the various countries—and attaches no particular importance to the relative responsibility of those countries which have declared war. Another group does not deny the general causes, but believes that the specific aspects of German militarism should be emphasized, and regards these as the chief causes of the war.

In opposition to this the supporters of the first group, to which the majority of the present committee belongs, regard it as possible that the victory of either coalition in this war may bring advantages to the democratic and Socialistic movements, but they are of the opinion that Russian victory over Germany might bring with it a strengthening of reaction in Russia and so might imperil the democratic movement of all Europe. One must also point out that there is a small minority of Social Democrats, who, viewing matters from this standpoint, desire a victory of Germany over Russia in the interest of progress.

This last statement is important as implying that neither faction of the Russian Socialists, with the exception of a small minority, desires the victory of Germany over Russia. The larger part of the Organization Committee evidently desires the war to be a draw, while the other faction, it is clear, desires a victory of Russia. Though it is probable, as we saw from previous quotations, that they would not like to see too great a victory gained by the present government, and it is certain that

they do not want the Czar to win without being forced to concede the demands of the great masses of the nation.

In the Duma meeting of February 9th, the Socialists voted against the Budget, while the Labor Party abstained from the voting. The Socialists, through Tscheidse, made the following important declaration:

At the outbreak of the war the Social Democratic Party said it had no confidence in the government, and the six months that have passed show that its judgment was correct. The frightful results of the war are intensified in Russia by the politics of the government. The government began at once to strengthen its menaced position by means of reactionary measures. As usual, it attacked foreign nationalities. While promises were made to the Poles, the oppression in Finland became stronger, the Jews were persecuted, and even in the occupied parts of Galicia the Little Russians were attacked. In other countries everything was done to lighten the sufferings of war. In Russia the Social Democratic meetings for this purpose were broken up and the Social Democratic publications suppressed. The climax of this persecution came with the arrest of the five Duma members (Socialists). We protest before all Europe against this persecution. The government only turns to the Duma because it is convinced that it will get everything it wants. loans have been brought about by the increase of paper money and of direct taxes, by ukase, and were not brought before this body. The Social Democrats will struggle as formerly for the internal freedom of Russia. Moreover, the group declares that in accordance with the principles of the Copenhagen Conference, it will begin to work for the end of the war as soon as possible and for a peace in accordance with the desires of all the peoples thrown into the war.

The war

One of the few Socialists left in the Duma after the arrests, however, was unable to consent to this declaration. Manikow declared that he could not accept the final sentence of the Social Democratic declaration which referred to the desirability of an early peace.

He declared that he regarded the war as a war of conquest on the part of Germany, and held that in the interest of the final destruction of militarism the word "peace" ought not to be used until the German junkers are conquered. Because of this declaration, Manikow was expelled from the Russian Party.

CHAPTER XXV

POLAND

THE American Alliance, representing Polish Socialist Parties of Germany, Austria, and Russia, is thoroughly representative and by its location free to voice Polish Socialist opinion. A large part of the Poles of the world are in America and no inconsiderable fraction of these are Socialists. Their declaration attacks the German government before the war almost as much as the Russian. As it was written before the German occupation of a large part of Russian Poland, it necessarily concentrates its attack on governments after the war against the Russians in Galicia.

The present war presents the highest tragedy for the Polish people. On the Polish soil German, Austrian, and Russian armies are fighting. Belgium suffered the same lot. But our Belgian brothers did not live through such an unheard-of horror as the Poles who were forced to join the colors of Russian, German, and Austrian armies, and, at the command of invaders, are pitted against one another and compelled to murder each other for the glory and power of their oppressors. Such is the horrible condition of our people.

The sufferings, unexampled in the history of mankind, of twenty-three millions of cultured people must be eliminated. And the only solution for this is the creation of the independent Polish republic. No larger or smaller autonomy will insure us free and unhampered development.

The democracy and liberties proclaimed by the constitutional manifesto in 1905 were revoked skillfully, one by one. Poland was divided again by taking out from it the province of Chelm. All efforts to spread education among the Polish people were prohibited and punished.

In the present war the commander-in-chief of the Russian army brazenly offers autonomy to Polish people on one condition, namely, that the Poles in all three parts of Poland should be loyal to the Russian Government. At the same time he orders that the meetings of the new Citizens' Committee, now formed in Warsaw for the relief among the poor, shall be held in the Russian language.

Immediately after the Russian proclamation of the manifesto promising local self-government to Poland, the general office of the press department of the Russian Government issued a circular to all Russian papers explaining that the socalled manifesto does not mean autonomy to Poland at all, but simply that all the Polish provinces now held by Austrians and Prussians will be annexed to Russia. The fate which will meet them is seen best in the behavior of Russia in the recently invaded parts of Galicia-announcing that from now on there shall be Russian customs and the Russian form of government in Galicia.

In the recently conquered Galicia, the Russians destroyed the Polish schools, closed down the university, abolished the provincial legislature, establishing Russian administration and even importing police from Russia.

Pleading in our cause, we at the same time bring to your attention the struggle for independence of our neighbor countries, Ukraina, Bohemia, Finland, and Lithuania, which at present suffer under the rule of foreign and oppressive governments.