Salt Lake Telegram | 1916-04-09 | Page 32 | Anarchists Object to Premature Peace

ANARCHISTS OBJECT TO PREMATURE I H PEACE Say War S Should Continue 1 Until Allies Allies' Can Dictate Dictate Dic Dic- Dic- Dic S tate Terms 5 PARIS April S. S Several S.-Several Several leading international international international in in- anarchists among them being Pierre Kropotkin Jean Grave and and- Hussein Bey have recently issued a general genera appeal to their comrades allover all allover allover over the world It is similar in tone toneto toneto toneto to one ope published before over the names blames of some notable Russian revolutionaries revolutionaries not a few o of them members members members mem mem- bers of the duma In this last appeal the signers reaffirm their fundamental principle of reforming s society ty by first first abolishing all existing institutions But to this assertion is added a strong protest against the conclusion o of a premature peace The world so the argument argument on this point runs which is suffering ring at present under the war inflicted upon inflicted upon it by the Germans would not be a abit abit abit bit bett better r off under a peace dictated by them A scourge like that must be resisted and combated by all nIl means In its issue of March 14 the Paris Temps reprints the principal parts of the appeal which is expected to prove of great influence in more quarters than that of the anarchist It reads With the knowledge that its armies are only ninety kilometers kilometer six fifty miles from Paris and with the support support sup port of the common people at home in its dreams of further conquests the German government sees no reason reason rea rea- son why it should not already now try to reap the fruits of the successes won so far It considers itself in a strong enough position at the present time to dictate the terms of a peace which would permit it to expend more milliards of indemnity funds on new military preparations It could then again attack Fran France e when time might s seem em opportune in order to deprive it of at Its colonies and a few provinces too thereby insuring the fatherland against any further d danger nger from that direction To talk about peace now is to play directly into the hands of the German German Ger Ger- man government party of at Buelow and his agents For our own part we weI must decline absolutely to share the I illusions of some among our comrades in re regard ard to the pacific disposition of I those who direct the destinies of at Ger many We prefer to look th the danger in the in-the the face and try try-to find some means for warding it oft off By ignoring ignoring- this ignoring this danger we would only aggravate the risk it involves We Ve are sincerely convinced that the German ag aggression was started not only to crush our hopes of emancipating emancipating emancipating eman eman- mankind but to stifle all all' development development de de- of the human race It is therefore that we anarchists we weT anti anti- militarists we enemies of war we passionate passionate pas pas- lovers of peace and of the brotherhood of at nations have ranged ourselves on the side of resistance and decided not to separate our lot from that of the rest of the people We do not think it necessary to assert assert as as- sert that we would have preferred to see the people take its defense into its own hands However as long as this this' was unfeasible there was nothing noth ing lag to do but submit to conditions that could not be changed And with those now in the actual fight we agree that until the UlO people of Germany Germany Ger Get many get saner notions of Justice and right and refuse to serve any lon longer er eras as an Instrument for forthe the domineering projects of the pan there can be no of peace War and wholesale murder notwithstanding not notwithstanding withstanding we shall not leave out of si sight ht the fact that we are arc Internationalists Internationalists internationalists that we strive for the union of nations and the leveling of bounda bounda- ries And it is just because we are aiming at this union of peoples including in In- including eluding the German nation th that t we believe in resisting with all our power an aggressor who represents the annihilation of all our our hopes of freedom To think of peace as long as the party which for forty five years has made one vast armed camp of Europe is in a position to prescribe the terms would be the most disastrous error that could possibly be committed On the other hand to resist and thwart its plans is to pave the way for those Germans who still are capable of sane reasoning and to provide them with means to rid themselves of that pernicious pernicious per niclous party It only our German comrades could i comprehend that this is the only Issue of advantage to all we would be ready to operate co-operate with them