“On the Armistice and Postwar Moment. 1918” in “Class Warrior”
On the Armistice and Postwar Moment 1918
Report of a speech by Kingsley in Vancouver’s Rex Theatre on 24 November 1918 during a Sunday evening mass meeting of the Federated Labor Party, examining the postwar moment in the wake of the signing of the Armistice that ended fighting on the Western Front.
Kingsley Asks the Question: “And Now What?”
Record Meeting at the Rex Theatre When Labor Party Re-opens. Capitalist Domination Spells Wastefulness as Well as Robbery.
Speaking at the Rex Theatre meeting of the Federated Labor Party on Sunday evening last, Mr. E. T. Kingsley allowed himself to adopt the role of prophet, when referring to the present Russian government, expressing the belief that they would be displaced by a bourgeois government and that they were apparently a little ahead of their time.
The great show of the last four years had ended in an armistice. Semi-feudalism had been conquered by the capitalist democracies of the western world. The policy of blood, iron and ruthlessness would be compelled to give way to the cunning of the bargain counter and the domination of “trade.” Soon there would be a gathering of the “business interests” to count up the assets and portion the plunder. The press might be expected to outdo even its previous record of deceit and hypocrisy. Bold pretensions toward liberty and democracy would still be used to cover up schemes of conquest.
This week they had been treated to a spectacle of 60 to 80 ships of a vanquished people making surrender under conditions which smacked strongly of “opera bouffet.” Four hundred battleships of the highest glass [sic—class] were on the job to help convey the impression that right was might. To him the whole proceeding seemed undignified and not in accordance with common decency.
Returning to Less Freedom
The big job was over and the men would be looking to return and what would they find on their return? They had risked all in an alleged fight for freedom—would they find a greater freedom awaiting them on return or was it not actually true that they would find that the shackles were even still more firmly fastened to their limbs and that oppression was greater than when they left. There was awaiting them a battle at home in which they would be compelled to join for the ruling classes were even now preparing for a resumption of conditions which left the workers with only one real line of action—political action.
Turning to the question of production, the speaker claimed that no real improvement was manifested in spite of the huge machinery of industrialism which had been erected. Clothing today was poorer than when it was handmade in the home and, moreover, the original handloom product was cheaper than any now obtainable. The same applied to articles of food.
Essential and Non-Essential Work
Half the working force of the world was gathered together in cities and did not produce a mouthful of food. They were engaged in the non-essential occupations which were part of a discredited system. Many of the “industrial monuments” of today could be compared in usefulness to the ancient pyramids of the banks of the Nile, yet they represented a tremendous amount of human labor. All the food, shelter and clothing needed by these people were produced by others while the mass of work on which they were engaged was of little real use to a well-ordered human society.
“Crown Prince” of the U.S.
The empire of industry would not be easily overturned. The red flag was never so much in evidence as now, but there was little chance of the establishment of Socialist republics without bourgeois interruption. The Houses of Parliament could not suddenly be filled with working class representatives. The empire of capitalist magnificence had been slowly reared and would be gradually superseded.
After a number of illustrations to show the futility of the present piling up of “promises to pay,” Kingsley stated that he would not be surprised that Scheideman (whom he referred to as a “pale pink red”) was induced to resign after getting a look at his new job as chancellor of the German exchequer, and the same was true of the “crown prince of the United States,” who resigned last week. “You cannot produce food, clothing and shelter and let it go from you and be paid for it except in promises.” The only revenue producer was labor in requisition, which was the only property on earth.
Legal Methods If They Existed
There could be no relief until the working class controlled the powers of government. There was no telling when the polls would again be open. His advice was to use the legal means of the ballot; but he would take care to point out that in some countries force had been resorted to because legal means were denied the workers, and it might be well to remember that in some countries where legal means had been so restricted as to be useless or had been removed altogether.
There was talk of reconstruction on the part of the people who were always trying to “do as good.” The speaker said experience showed they could be relied upon to “do us good and plenty.”
We must be free to speak our minds and to engage in political conflict and all support must be withdrawn from the class who rule and rob.
Mr. R. P. Pettipiece occupied the chair.
—“Kingsley Asks the Question ‘And Now What,’” British Columbia Federationist, 29 Nov. 1918, 1. See also “Kingsley and Society,” Vancouver Daily World, 25 Nov. 1918, 12.
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