What the opponents of German consolidation over there in France and Russia fear is a German people united for the defense of their land.  And in this regard—­that I can assure you—­I have personally removed for our part every doubt, if any existed, among influential French politicians; if France attacks, straightway there is no party in Germany on which she can rely, and straightway every Socialist in Germany is pledged and prepared to march against the invader.

For years we have been slandered by our enemies in Germany as traitors and worse.  The imperial anti-Socialist association has had an excellent example of this alleged treachery of ours.  Our vote has stretched the anti-Socialists in the dust, together with all the other political vultures who have lived by slandering us.

As Socialists of firm conviction we have voted for the war credit and moved this vote through a declaration from the party representative, Haase.  In our programme we have demanded that a volunteer army replace the standing army.  Why do we demand the volunteer army?  Because we consider it the best protection against every attack on the Fatherland.  This is it, then!  We, too, wish to defend the Fatherland.  Suppose that instead we had said in the hour of need:  Yes, we want to protect our Fatherland against the knout regiments of the Czar all right enough, but we demand that protection from the militia!  Since we do not as yet have the militia, we shall make no use of the standing army, for we would rather let the Cossacks into the country!

From whatever side we consider the situation, we German Socialists could not have acted otherwise than we have.  A party like that of Social Democracy, the strongest in the country, cannot avoid the facts by hiding its head in the sand; it must act!  It is no exaggeration to state that in the present crisis the entire German people is united.  That whole nation is determined, cost what it may, to end the war as speedily as possible, but at the same time victoriously.  There is no one here who feels any resentment toward France, and every one wishes that a worthy peace will be established between Germany and France as soon as possible.

England’s Shameful Role.

England is playing a perfectly shameful role in this war.  Even though France were allied to Russia by an unfortunate treaty, England was not so allied!  But England, who has ever been jealous of the industrial development of our country, used the violation of our treaty of neutrality with Belgium, which was incurred only in dire need and which was yielded openly and honestly in the Reichstag by the Chancellor, as a pretext to declare war against us.  And England crowned this abhorrent action by mobilizing against us an east-Asiatic nation.  Japan, whose sons have enjoyed the most genuine and far-reaching hospitality at our hands, whose culture has been enriched through us, who has won from us our industrial secrets, shows herself suddenly as the most despicable, the most treacherous nation of this whole world.  I do not need to go into details over the demands which Japan has presented to Germany, for I assume that your readers are already in full possession of the facts.