The General Strike/The deadly parallel
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THE DEADLY
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 re-dedicate 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 through the establishment of the Industrial Democracy.
WAR'S 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:
| Killed. | Wounded, Permanently Disabled. |
Captured and Missing. |
Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 205,400 | 102,500 | 107,500 | 415,400 |
| France | 870,000 | 540,800 | 400,000 | 1,810,800 |
| Russia | 1,500,000 | 784,200 | 800,000 | 3,084,200 |
| Italy | 105,000 | 49,000 | 55,000 | 209,000 |
| Belgium | 50,000 | 22,000 | 40,000 | 112,000 |
| Serbia | 60,000 | 28,000 | 88,000 | |
| Totals | 2,790,400 | 1,526,500 | 1,402,500 | 5,719,400 |
PARALLEL
PLEDGE GIVEN TO NATION BY AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR.
We, the officers of the National and Internation 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.
| Killed. | Wounded, Permanently Disabled. |
Captured and Missing. |
Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 893,200 | 450,000 | 245,000 | 1,588,200 |
| Austria-Hungary | 523,100 | 355,000 | 591,000 | 1,469,100 |
| Turkey | 127,000 | 110,000 | 70,000 | 307,000 |
| Bulgaria | 7,500 | 7,000 | 6,000 | 20,500 |
| Totals | 1,550,800 | 922,000 | 912,000 | 3,384,800 |
ON MARCH 11, 1917.
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?