THE SOCIALISM of the SWORD 25 the NOVELS of DOSTOEVSKY 38 Louis C
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May Ten 15th Review Cents A CRITICAL SURVEY OF INTERNATIONAL SOCIALISM VOL. III. 10c a Copy. Putlisned on tke first and fifteentk of tke montn. * 6<> a Year- No. 6 CONTENTS PAGE PAGE THE SOCIALISM OF THE SWORD 25 THE NOVELS OF DOSTOEVSKY 38 Louis C. Fraina. Floyd Dell. CURRENT AFFAIRS 27 BOOK REVIEWS 39 L. B. Boudin. TREITSCHKE;; GERMAN SOCIALIST WAR LITERATURE; REVOLUTIONARY THE WAR IN THE FAR EAST 29 FUTURE OF RUSSIA. Nicholas Russel. A SOCIALIST DIGEST 41 "THE CONSCIENCE OF THE NORTH" 32 THE TREND TOWARD STATE SOCIALISM IN THE BELLIGERENT NATIONS; Covington Hall. THE GERMAN SOCIALISTS' PEACE TERMS; THE BRITISH SOCIALISTS SOLIDARITY AND SCABBING 34 AND PEACE; INTERPRETING JAPAN'S DEMANDS UPON CHINA; BERN- Austin Lewis. STEIN AND THE FRENCH SOCIALSTS. BILLY SUNDAY AS A SOCIAL SYMPTOM 36 CORRESPONDENCE 45 Phillips Russell. From Felix Grendon; Floyd Dell. Copyright, 1915, by the New Review Publishing Ass'n. Reprint permitted if credit is given. The Socialism of the Sword By Louis C. Fraina HE military State Socialism imposed upon the war. Now, however, these constructive changes oc- belligerent nations by implacable necessity cur in the midst of war itself. While the armies of T is not a new phenomenon in the scope of its the nations slaughter each other, the state organizes purpose; it is a new phenomenon in its application and transforms the internal social system. The Na- and social consequences. poleonic wars destroyed the old order of things in The theory of the older Socialism of the Sword Europe, but except in France the new order was was lucidly stated by Benjamin Franklin. developed many years later. The Great War, how- "Property is the creature of society and society is ever, is constructing the basis of the new order of entitled to the last farthing whenever society needs things at the same time that it destroys the old. The it." work of destruction and construction proceeds simul- This is a recognition of the right of the state to taneously. In this new phenomenon lies one of the protect itself and the power of the state to seize its great hopes of progress as a consequence of the war. citizens and their property as means of protection. The belligerent nations are instituting State So- The language of Franklin, "Society is entitled to the cialism by the absorption of economic activity within last farthing," indicates the method,—taxation and the control of the state. This was impossible in a expropriation. Property was taxed, destroyed, society of isolated individual production; it is pos- stolen by the state, but economic activity was not sible and practicable only in a society in which in- fundamentally altered by the decrees of the state. dustry is highly developed. This pre-supposes econ- Socially, that was not State Socialism; it was an ac- omic unity within the state, the reality or illusion tion of the state economically and socially destruc- of common economic interests, national enthusiasm tive, and not constructive. and solidarity; all of which pre-supposes or produces The ancient prerogative of a state to protect itself the war of peoples in place of simply the war of na- assumes the form of State Socialism only when the tains. States are no longer organized as competing state denies the right of private property in indus- military powers, but as basically competing eco- try ; only when the state regulates economic activity nomic groups. Out of this proceeds the implacable thoroughly and arbitrarily and absorbs within itself necessity of State Socialism during the war. In all the means of production of the nation. Formerly the the belligerent nations—in Germany most, in Russia state simply taxed property; now it RE-ORGANIZES least—the economic forces are mobilized for war, industry. The change is tremendous and funda- offensively and defensively. mental. Previous wars while being waged were In the fact that it is a war of peoples and a war purely destructive; constructive economic and social of economics lies the dynamic social significance of changes usually followed after and not during the the Great War. It is a war of peoples not alone be- 26 NEW REVIEW cause of universal military service and its huge Socialism. The New York Evening Post expresses armies, but because the people at home are fighting this attitude beautifully: in a very real sense as much as those at the front "The man with the tools is to be regulated as mi- and because they believe they have a stake in the nutely as the man with money. And there can be no country worth protecting—are a part of the nation. doubt at all that Kitchener methods enforced upon It is a war of economics not alone because industry British workmen after the war would lead to loud, is mobilized, but because all the forces of the nation, protests and a political revolt. ... It would be, close-knit by economic unity, are brought within the to them, only one more oppressive display of the scope of the war—utilized, affected, transformed. power of the capitalistic state." A war possessing these social characteristics must Exactly; but it has never been assumed by revo- necessarily produce fundamental and permanent lutionary Socialists that State Socialism meant any- changes, economically, politically, culturally. thing else than the governmental regulation alike of Considering its economic basis, the State Social- labor and capital. American progressivism has made ism of the belligerent nations, while an expedient of this clear. war, is not necessarily a temporary expedient. All The potential revolt of the workers and the capi- the more does it possess the quality of permanency talist fear of the proletariat would strengthen in- because the emergencjy acts of the governments stead of weakening State Socialism. strengthen a previously-existing and powerful State The despotic control of industry exercised by a Socialist tendency. Internationally the war is bound State Socialist regime would impress upon the work- to modify national individualism in favor of federa- ers the idea and necessity of industrial self-govern- tion of nations; nationally the war strikes a power- ment. The class struggle, while transformed and ful blow, perhaps the final blow, at the decrepit sys- simplified, would become more acute and pervasive. tem of economic individualism. The unity of the heterogenous elements of the capi- The war does not produce new forces and a new talist class implied in State Socialism would line of progress, but caps the climax of the evolu- strengthen that class, and greater resistance pro- tionary developments proceeding in the bosom of voked among the workers. pacific society. It destroys that which was on the State Socialism strengthens the potentiality of verge of destruction and strengthens that which was proletarian revolt—in that lies the promise and so- ascending into power. cial mission of State Socialism. But the proletariat Those who still cling to the system of economic in- would not revolt to re-introduce the economic indi- dividualism imagine the compulsory collectivism of vidualism of the bourgeois; it would revolt to intro- the war to be temporary because "this whole gov- duce industrial self-government, that is to say, So- ernment regimentation has meant great sacrifices for cialism. many classes." But these sacrifices are the sacrifices of war; part and parcel of the Socialism of the Sword, they are incidental and temporary in State BOARD OF EDITORS Socialism itself. Frank Bohn Paul Kennaday William E. Bohn Robert Rives La Monte The old argument of inefficiency is being revived. Louis B. Boudin Joseph Michael It is pointed out that graft and corruption and Floyd Dell Arthur Livingston W. E. B. Du Bois Robert H. Lowie vicious speculation are actively at work. These Max Eastman Helen Marot triple evils, however, are nothing new; present in Louis C. Fraina. Moses Oppenheimer Felix Grendon Herman Simpson all wars, they were actively at work in the American Isaac A. Hourwich Wm. English Walling Civil War and in the wars of the French Revolution. They were incidental to the social changes proceed- ADVISORY COUNCIL ing during those epochs, just as they are incidental Arthur Bullard Gustavus Myers George Allan England Mary White Ovington to the social changes implied in military State So- Charlotte Perkins Gilman William J. Robinson cialism. Besides, graft and corruption are a more Arturo Giovanitti Charles P. Steinmetz Reginald W. Kaufmann J. G. Phelps Stokes or less normal phase of Capitalism. Harry W. Laidler Horace Traubel Prejudices are more pertinacious than economics. Austin Lewis John Kenneth Turner Albert Sonnichsen While titanic events marking the birth of a new era John Macy are revolutionizing the economics of the world, im- mediately and potentially, the arguments and ideo- Published by the New Review Publishing Association logical conceptions of a moribund system of things 256 BROADWAY, NEW YORK CITY ALEXANDER FRASER JULIUS HEIMAN LOUIS C. FRAINA still persist and will continue to persist. Ideological President Treasurer Secretary Subscription $1.50 a year in United States and "Mexico; six months. superstructures do not change as easily as their $0.75. $1.75 in Canada and $2.00 in foreign countries. Single economic and social foundations. copies, 10 cents. The devotees of economic individualism desper- Entered at the New York frost-office as second-class mail matter. ately hope that labor will prevent permanent State CURRENT AFFAIRS 27 jury is usually composed of members of the class against which he has committed the offense for Current Affairs which he is being tried. How can he expect justice By L. B. Boudin at the hands of such a jury? The Political Mood Trial by Jury and the Working Class HE wave of reaction which has come over OHN R.