Hellraisers Journal: “The Deadly Parallel” Compares IWW’s Declaration on War in Europe with AFL’s Pledge of Service

Share

IWW on War and Class Solidarity, Dec 1, 1916

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday April 2, 1917
From the International Socialist Review: “The Deadly Parallel”

“The Deadly Parallel” was first published in Solidarity, organ of the Industrial Workers of the World, on March 24, 1917, and is republished in this month’s edition of the Review:

WWI, IWW, Deadly Parallel, ISR Apr 1917

The I. W. W. “Deadly Parallel” Poster

IWW, WWI, Deadly Parallel Poster, ab March 1917

“Deadly Parallel” Poster Transcribed:

The Deadly Parallel

A DECLARATION
By the Industrial Workers of the World

We, the Industrial Workers of the World, in convention assembled, hereby reaffirm our adherence to the principles of Industrial Unionism, and rededicate ourselves to the unflinching prosecution of the struggle for the abolition of wage slavery, and the realization of our ideals in Industrial Democracy. With the European war for conquest and exploitation raging and destroying the lives, class consciousness, and unity of the workers, and the ever growing agitation for military preparedness clouding the main issues, and delaying the realization of our ultimate aim with patriotic, and, therefore, capitalistic aspirations, we openly declare ourselves determined opponents of all nationalistic sectionalism or patriotism, and the militarism preached and supported by our one enemy, the Capitalist Class. We condemn all wars, and, for the prevention of such, we proclaim the anti-militarist propaganda in time of peace, thus promoting class solidarity among the workers of the entire world, and, in time of war, the general strike in all industries. We extend assurances of both moral and material support to all the workers who suffer at the hands of the Capitalist Class for their adhesion to the principles, and call on all workers to unite themselves with us, that the reign of the exploiters may cease and this earth be made fair thru the establishment of the Industrial Democracy.

PLEDGE GIVEN TO NATION
By American Federation of Labor

We, the officers of the national and international trades unions of America in national conference assembled, in the capital of our nation, hereby pledge ourselves in peace or in war, in stress or in storm, to stand unreservedly by the standards of liberty and the safety and preservation of the institutions and ideals of our republic. In this solemn hour of our nation’s life, it is our earnest hope that our republic may be safeguarded in its unswerving desire for peace; that our people may be spared the horrors and the burdens of war; that they may have the opportunity to cultivate and develop the arts of peace, human brotherhood and a higher civilization. But, despite all our endeavors and hopes, should our country be drawn into the maelstrom of the European conflict, we, with these ideals of liberty and justice herein declared, as the indispensable basis for national policies, offer our services to our country in every field of activity to defend, safeguard and preserve the republic of the United States of America against its enemies, whomsoever they may be, and we call upon our fellow workers and fellow citizens in the holy name of labor, justice, freedom and humanity to devotedly and patriotically give like service.

Wars Toll

Washington, D. C, March 11.—There have been 5,719,400 casualties in the entente armies and 3,384,800 in the Teutonic forces since the war began, according to authoritative figures obtained here today. The classified figures by countries follow:

WWI, IWW, Deadly Parallel, ISR Apr 1917, Detail Stats

[From the combined nations of England, France, Russia, Italy, Belgium, and Serbia: 2,790,400 killed; 1,526,500 wounded and permanently disabled; 1,402,500 captured and missing.

From the combined nations of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, and Bulgaria: 1,550,800 killed; 922,000 wounded permanently disabled; 912,000 captured and missing.]

TEN MILLION HUMAN LIVES STAND AS A MONUMENT TO THE NATIONAL PATRIOTIC STUPIDITY OF THE WORKING CLASS OF EUROPE! WHO WILL BE TO BLAME IF THE WORKERS OF AMERICA ARE BETRAYED AND LED INTO THE BLOODIEST SLAUGHTER OF HISTORY? WHO?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SOURCES

Rebel Voices: An IWW Anthology
-ed by Joyce L Kornbluh
PM Press, Mar 1, 2013
(search with: deadly parallel)
https://books.google.com/books?id=sE0Qc0M61fkC

The International Socialist Review, Volume 17
-ed by Algie Martin Simons, Charles H. Kerr
Charles H. Kerr & Company,
July 1916-June 1917
https://books.google.com/books?id=SVRIAAAAYAAJ
ISR April 1917
https://books.google.com/books/reader?id=SVRIAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&source=gbs_atb&pg=GBS.PA581
“The Deadly Parallel”
(Note: also source for image of ISR’s repub of deadly parallel.)
https://books.google.com/books/reader?id=SVRIAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&source=gbs_atb&pg=GBS.PA618

IMAGES

IWW, WWI, Deadly Parallel Poster, ab March 1917
From Official Blog of Vancouver (BC) IWW
http://vancouverwob.blogspot.com/2007/11/wobbly-art-anti-iww-propaganda-anti-war.html

See also:

Hellraisers Journal, Friday February 9, 1917
Chicago, Illinois – I.W. W. Opposes War
-The Resolution on War and Class Solidarity from IWW Convention of 1916
https://weneverforget.org/hellraisers-journal-the-resolution-on-war-and-class-solidarity-from-iww-convention-of-1916/

American Federationist of April 1917
https://books.google.com/books/reader?id=3LVLAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&source=gbs_atb&pg=GBS.PA269

American Labor’s Position in
Peace or in War
—–

OUR DEMOCRACY UNITED AND EFFICIENT
—–
By Samuel Gompers

A DECLARATION that represents the will of the people speaks with an elementary power that makes the whole world give heed. Such a declaration was that made at a momentous conference held in the American Federation of Labor Building, Washington, D. C, on March 12, 1917. It was a gathering of the responsible, authorized representatives of the trade union movement of America to consider a national problem and to determine what attitude the organized labor movement ought to take in meeting that problem. Because of its daily struggle for justice and freedom in all relations of life, the organized labor movement speaks for the masses of the people…..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~