Pioneer

I Spain Thanks You FOR YOUR EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF HER LEADERS. The Spanish colonies of Dowlais and Abercrave ask us to thank the Trades Union Movement of Britain, and of Merthyr in particular, for the assistance rendered in their campaign to com- bat the cruelly repressive means ad" by the Spanish authontaes in the suppression of the Trades Union strikers in Spain. It will be re- membered that owing to the poverty- of the workers and the appalling increases in the costs of foodstuffs, due to the exportation of produce by profiteers, who found the markets external to Spain too tempting to allow the needs of the populace Off SpaIn to override their greed-the workers of Spain began to move in quite con- stitutional ways to ease the situation. Equivo- cation, and the other usual tactics were adopted, and an exasperated populace at last struck. AB usual the strikes resulted in collisions and the use of the armed force of the crown—artillery being used according to the bet;t reports—hun- dreds of trades unionists were arrested, and the Abercrave and Dowlais colonists knowing what that meant petitioned the British Labour move- ment; and were seconded in their efforts by tho Merthyr Trades Council, who petitioned the whole of the British Trades Councils. Now, thanks it is believed to the unanimity of the condemnation of the tactics used by British La- bour, most of the leaders, including "Virginia," the idol of Spanish Democracy, have been re- leased. The opinion of the people of Spain may be guaged from the fact that four of the leaders who were imprisoned were, during their imprisonment, elected to Parliament-—-the Cortex. We are delighted with the issue, and wiHingly pass on the thanks of our Spanish friends.

I CORRESPONDENCE. Correspondents we requested to condeme I their letters as much as possible. IN REPLY TO MR. HARTSHORN. TO TBS EDITOR. kslr,-Vt;llou,h Mr. Hartshorn denies naming Mr. Snowden in his indictment, he certainly did do so. Messrs. Smillie and Bramley were also included. In replying to my letter Mr. Hart- shorn has stated the reasons why he "believed, and still believe" the War Aims Memorandum to represent the views of certain gentlemen, to be founded on the fact that they are members of the Executive of the Labour Party, were present at the Labour Conference, and sat on the plat- form. But this is not sufficient evidence to justify any person quoting certain passages from the Memorandum, and representing them to be the views of particular individuals. They can be pre- sented as the joint production of the Parliament- ary Committee of the T.U.C., and the Labour Party Executive, which is entirely different. On the evidence he has supplied, Mr. Hartshorn, in my judgment, had no" justification for denouncing certain individuals for not advocating publicly what they are alleged to have agreed to else- where. The Secret Treaties entered into by our Government, which have been published by the Russian Rtwolutionaries" s how that it is already committed to "a war of conquest, and is pledged to a policy of forcible annexations. Yet the Labour Movement has decided to remain part of the Coalition, and that its members shall still retain Ministerial positions. Even Mr. Hart- shorn himself is rendering active service in help- ing on the war of the Treaty-bound Govern- ments. Since the Memorandum recognises that the peoples of Europe are not responsible for causing this carnage, one would be inclined to think it but logical, and human, that nothing shall be left undone which might be done to bring about a definite International workingr class movement which would force the Govern- men1:6 both ally and enemy to make peace, or stand aside and let the people themselves do so without such terrible slaughter. It would be more to the credit of Labour leaders, and to the interest of "the European people if they con- centrated all their power and innucnce upon this goal, than it is to 'w endeavouring to explain the views of other individuals" who are capable of doing so for themselves.—Yours, etc.. II. T. WATTKRS. 'I I 143, Tanygroes Street, Port Talbot, April 29th, 1918.

I DEMOCRATISING THE CHURCH. Preaching at Cambridge University on Sun- day, Lord William Cecil, bishop of Exeter, c sug- ?ste< as one redy for their empty churohes, that they should open their ministry to the working classes. He appealed to the universi- ties to give their assistance by cheapening edu- cation.

The Marx Centenary ONE HUNDRED years ago to-morrow—on May 5th, 1818—there was born in the ancient West Ger- man town of Treves a child whose genius is even now oecoming enshrined as amongst the bright- est of the bright intellects that has given to the Nineteenth Century the apt style of The Won- derful Century. The work of Karl Marx, for he was the child, will, so long as the Capitalist System lasts, be the most potent weapon in the hands of the workers, to whose cause Marx so loyally sacrificed his life; and that work will be regarded, and correctly regarded after Capital- ism has parsed away, as the most remarkable sociological synthesis that the genius of man has given to humanity to guide its steps. Marx found Socialism a conception in the brains of noble and good men; he left it a science; a.ye and a science so firmly founded that the pas- sage of the years but emphasises the irrefragiblt-, nature of his work. The sociologists' only wea- pon against Marx is a declaration that Sociology is incapable of scientific treatment. The only misfortune is that Marx's work is of necessity obscure to the general reader. That monu- mental three volumes of Capital are heavy and laborious; so difficult, indeed, that Sartor Resartus is besides it a piece of light fiction. We do not believe that Kapital -will ever make itself a popular book inside the Socialist movement; but, fortunately, the idlicron-te, of Marxism are ever growing in numbers, and in that number is a minority of expositors who know the book well, who have thoroughly ab- sorbed the spirit of the criticism that it places in our hands, and who are capable of bringing the kernel of the theories to the level of the man in the street. Such epitomes and restate- ments are among the most valuable contribu- tions to the Socialist literature of our times, but they cannot, nor are they intended to, take the place of Capital which must still be the resort of the student who seeks to grasp in full the cogency of Marx's examination of Capitalist development and evolution. For it must be al- ways borne in mind that any system so compre- hensive as that of Capital allows of many varying dogmas of interpretation; and no elu- cidator whose work is worth while is so lacking in mental alacrity as to fail to impinge the elucidation with his own colouration; in many cases, we are certain, a colouration that Marx himself would not have endorsed. In this con- nection we are immediately reminded of the somewhat sharp but friendly division amongst the Marxian students into a negative and posi- tive school of Parliamentary action; and in a still deeper degree amongst such masters of the system as Kautsky, the literary executor of Marx, and Lafargue, his son-in-law, there is a disposition to interpret the economic determin- ism, that is such an integral and important part of the system, with such rigidity that it becomes almost absurd to the seeming of an English Marxian of the ability of H. M. Hyndman, who does not believe that Marx would have sought to discover, as do his disciples we have men- tioned, the basis of the Hindoo enquiry into Algebra, or the Greek investigations into conic sections in the economic substrata of the socie- ties of their day. We have mentioned these things because we are painfully aware that largely on the strength of a particular exposi- tion of some aspect of Marxian doctrine, and a consequent mistaken appreciation of the system as a whole, many men hold themselves aloof from Marx, who would benefit from a closer enquiry. For we want it to be clearly recog- nised by all who term themselves Socialists that when Marx co-ordinated the work of his pre- decessors on the great field of social economics, and added to the theories that had been formu- lated the pricel ess enlightenment of his erudi- tion and genius, he moulded for the workers the strongest weapon in the Democratic armoury. He alone completely uncovered the theories that had been partly descovered and exposed oy the Physiocrats in France, and the Classical econo- mists of our own country; and it was because of the broader vista that his system gave to him that he gave to Socialism, as its rightful inheri- tance, the scientific certainty of the truth of its criticism, and the absolute knowledge of its ultimate triumph. Many men to-day call them- selves Marxians, not because of their acquaint- ance with Marx, but because it is becoming fashionable to acknowledge the lead of the great master. That is no good. Indeed, it is not without its element of harm for such indi- viduals have got a habit of eneeringly depre- ciating divergent schools that certainly does not make for the sympathetic conversion of the Socialist movement as a whole to Marxism. We ourselves entertain the most absolute veneration for Marx and his work, but we have to regard many of his disciples rather in the light of a nuisance and a hindrance than as a help in the dissemination of his views. No man yet has understood Marx by reading Wage Labour and Capital," excellent though the pamphlet is, or is entitled to label himself as a full-fledged exponent of Marxian economics from a hasty and incomplete digestion of the exaggerated form of the system contained in the "Communist Manifesto." Marx is a long way yet from having oome into his own, but the veneration for him, the respect for the theoretical side of his work, and admiration of the untirable zeal and unequalled virility with whicft he led the workers to a clearer vision of their mission and position is growing. Vat it may precede the wider dissemination of his theories; and a deci- sion to devote ourselves to the cause which ho espoused with his earnestness, zeal and complete- ness we devoutly hope. The Marxian centenary r has fallen in a period that superficially, and superficially only, is retrogressive; for under- neath the ferment of Democracy is at work, and the livening that must grow out of it will be dependent more upon the work that Marx was able to accomplish than upon the endeavours of any other man.

Shall This Pass ? I BRITAIN has travelled a long way from the proud position of Freedom that she boasted here at home less than four short years back. A glance at the cool and dispassionate compilations of the rights and privileges jettisoned voluntarily, or surreptitiously stolen, under the cloak of cow- ardly regulations, by bureaucrats who would disgrace the dirty pages of the maladministra- tion of India, or earn the praises of the highly trained experts of the late Czar, leaves us ap- palled. Unfortunately the silence of the Capi- talist Press, and the restrictive oversight of the stern D.O.R.A. prevent a knowledge of the things that are' happening coming forcibly to the understanding of the people, and the conse- quence is that when the details of a complete case are. in the possession of those of us who are prepared to give them publicity, it is difficult to make the people understand that this is not an isolated case representing more a miscar- riage of justice than a typical example of the practices of the day. Take the example of the "Tribunal," that courageously little paper of the conscientious objectors, the recital of which ought to rouse a storm of indignation through- out the length and breadth of the land; yet which but differs in degree and not in kind from actions that are becoming commonplace to the Democratic press. The "Tribunal" is a news- paper-journal representing certain views, but differing only from other papers in the fact that its views differ from theirs. In peace time? it would have claimed the right to voice those views, under the privilege of the liberty of a free press that was won for us only after strenuous struggles by our forefathers. But to-day the Tribunal has earned the hatred of the authorities, and its history during the past f ew months is a. standing disgrace to the country. To go no further back than last Feb- ruary we find the machinery of the National La- bour Press dismantled because of the publication of the journal, and this was followed by the pro- secution of the Honw Bertrand Russel for the publication of an article in its pages and his sentence to six months' imprisonment; Miss Jean Beauchamp, its publisher, was another victim of its enemies but the culmination of a persecu- tion as malicious as anything that has come to us from Russia, or India has been reached by the action of the police on April 22nd. After the N.L.P. had given an undertaking not to pro- duce the journal, it found a printer in a Mr. S. H. Street. On April 11th a displayed advertise- ment in its pages called upon the peoples of Europe to stop the war, and on April 22nd six police officers a-i-jived at Mr. Street's premises and asked whether he was the printer of the issue of the 11th. He replied that he was. and forthwith the officers—who had no warrant— proceeded to unscrew the machines, where a part would not come loose it was broken off follow- ing this the type was thrown into boxes and the whole plant, books, copy of jobs, etc., thrown onto a cart, and removed. The man who accepts the work of printing a paper in the ordinary course of business is thus deprived of his liveli- hood, a.nd caused to suffer a financial loss of roughly tW, for the printing of an expression of opinion for which Miss Jean Beauchamp has admitted full responsibility. The raid on the printer was followed by one on the Society's Office, which was ransacked of all copies of that issue of the paper and other documents and files. Had such a happening been brought to our notice in pre-war days as having occurred on the Continent we should have been justly in- dignant, and have prided ourselves that such things were impossible here. To-day such is the debasement in the moral standard of the na- tion worked by war that the free-est nation in the world has insensibly sunk below the unci- vilised depths of a feudal state like Russia. Any- thing is possible- in this country to-day, except the possibility of retaining liberty at home whilst we fight for it abroad. But surely our people are not suffering from the dry-rot of inertia so much that a shameless piece of auto- cracy such as the "Tribunal case reveals will be allowed to pass in silence, and its unlicensed perpetrators allowed too escape the penalty of their actions.

The Keighley Election I.L.P.'s SPLENDID POLL IN STRAIGHT FIGHT. Keighly, the fIrst. General Election since the war to be fought by the I.L.P., and tho first election to be fought on a straight Democratic p t, i (?, peace platform, could not have fallen in a worse season for us. The position of affairs on the Western Front, has resulted in a psycho- logy which, though quite mistaken, is still easily understandable. In addition our candidate had to face a candidate representing a coalition of all the political forces opposed to us. On the whole the vote may be taken as decidly encour- aging. The vacancy was caused by the death of Sir Swire Smith, who was unopposed when in 1915 he succeeded Sir S. Buekm aster on the latter's elevation to the Lord Chancellorship. The election campaign last week was an exciting one, and all who gathered to assist our Comrade W. Bland in his plucky fight have corno away enthused as indeed, we might all well be on the result. The result of the polling was an- nounced on Saturday afternoon as follows: — Mr. W. H. Somervell (L., Coalition) 4,873 Mr. W. Bland (I.L.P., Peace by Negotiation) 2,349 Coalition -majority 2,524 At the last contest, November 11, 1913, the figures were:—Sir S. C. Buckmaster (L), 4,730; Lord Lascelles (17), 3,825; Mr. W. Bland (Lab.) 3,646. Mr. Bland thanked those who had shown that in their opinion the Government policy was a mistake. One-third of the poll in his favour was encouraging for the next general election.

Marx Centenary Pamphlet [" The Socialism of Karl Marx," with bioigra- phical sketch of Marx, 20 pp., illustrated, bv A. E. Cook. Plebs League (Glasgow), 25.] We unreservedly recommend to our readers in this the centenary week of the birth of Marx, the Marxian Cntenary pamphlet which The Plebs League (Glasgow Branch) have just issued at 2d. The book is divided into two parts and Addenda, and is the product of our Comrade A. E. Cook, whom we heartily congratulate on his production. Part 1 is a fine little sketch in brief of the life of Marx, which we trust will awaken an interest, that will send the student to the fuller memoirs of Marx by Liebknecht; or the still more complete Life from the pen of Spargo. Part 2 deals with the system of Karl Marx, and is prefaced by an enquiry into "Why Marxian Socialism?" after which come admirable brief outlines of the Materialist Oon- ception of History, the Theorv of Surplus Value, and The Class Struggle. The pamphlet, of course, makes no pretence at a complete state- ment, but within its limits it is as lucid a tit- bit as we have met, and should stimulate to a wider interest the intelligence that is awaken- ing in these days. Thirty large pages for two- pence in these days represents big value indeed, and when they are such pages as Mr. A. E. j Cook has given us we trust that every Pioneerite" will see to it that they become the possessors of them. There are some interest- ing little pictures of Marx's birthplace, Jenny Von Westphalen (Marx's wife), Marx's London homes, good little pictures of Engels, Dietzgen and Liebknecht, and (--no of Marx's grave in High-gate Cemetery.

I Ireland & the Labour Party I REMARKABLE OPEN LETTER FROM I DUBLIN. f I BEFORE THE INTERNATIONAL WE DENOUNCE YOU." That virile little- weekly edited by Oottal O'Shannon Irish Opinion: The Voice of La- bour." last week contained a remarkable Open Letter to tho English Labour Party, signed Clolk-itt-0, from which we reproduce the fol- liwing passages. Some of the passages are, in our opinion, too highly coloured; but with the main line of criticism many sincere English and Welsh Democrats will find themselves in accord. I" To the Right Honourable and Honourable Gentlemen, But. for the malign fate that links our na- nons and the unfortunate fact that you stand before the world as representatives and types of tho English working class, we would treat you with that indifference you have always exhi- bited towards Irish whose very existence you have ignored, for when you have sought to learn aught of Ireland, you have made your enquiries of our governors and masters.. "Wo are of the workers, labouring in har- mony with the International to awaken our fel- low-countrymen to a consciousness of the des- tiny of our class. We advocate industrial solidarity and we are answered with jeers: What. about Havelock Wilson and '(Iait.in Tupper? We urge independent political action by Labour and our fellow-workers point, in scorn to the names of Barnes and Hodge. Everywhere your puerilities, your follies, your servilities, and your crimes are used to libel Labour in a country that has been served by James Hope and James Connolly, which has given to England the earliest pioneers of La- bour's freedom. Everywhere we must repudiate you and demonstrate your fasity to Labour, Democracy and Internationalism. "Largely oy the zeal and practical political instincts of our fellow-countrymen you were created as a political force, and their unselfish labours helped you to Westminster, pledged publicly as men of honour and the trustees of your class to maintain complete independence of all capitalist parties." You were the foremost battalion of the workers' army lighting for industrial democracy, seeking to escape the shackles of age-long slavery, but the weapon of political power they forged for you to wield, you turned upon the workers of England. When the blight of war fell upon Europe you proclaimed a truce of God between Capital and Labour, a truce kept by your dupeo until they awoke to the fraud of the master class and your deception. Their incipient rovolto you strangled, their new leaders you penned in pri- son-houses, and you forged new laws—Defence of the Realm Acts, Munitions of War Acts, National Service Acts, aye, even Regulation 40n to punish the victims of your war kist--tio bind in slavery the masses who had looked to you for deliverance. You sneaked into the international with pledges of loyalty to your class and ours in its world-wide struggle for emancipation. War to the Bitter End," to the Knock- out Blow is now the cry of you who once preached the gospel of the Prince of Penor, the glad tidings of great joy of the Poor Man of Nazareth. You once had your disciples, simple, honest men who walked in the fear of God, led by your teaching. To-day these followers of your Christian doctrines of self-sacrifice, of ab- stinence from blood, are herded by your orders with criminals—vile criminals, perhaps, but not with your foulness. You have betrayed your God and persecuted His children." < < Before the International we denounce you, traitors to our common class, false to your own people, accomplices in the oppression of the Irish race. Your rank s are not redeemed by one honest figure. No voice of sincerity and truth speaks from your midst. But we have no hate for you. A man may kill a louw- he cannot hate it. I 1, OOLETTTO.

I Calling: Up Miners I NO FIT MEN. FOR R.A.M.C. In the House of Commons on Monday Mr. Macpherson (Under Secretary for War), asked by Mr. A. Williams (L—North-west Durham) whether coalminers who early in the war volun- teered for the R.A.M.C. and were afterwards placed in Class W were now being called up again and drafted into the infantry, said that all men who were physically fit for service in a combatant unit and of the suitable age were re- quired for duty with such units. rt was not possible to except from this rule fit men who might under other cirenmstances have volun- t-eered for the R.A.M.O.