1939: Socialism

The Socialist movement in 1939 maintained its former strength without any considerable losses or gains. The movement was, of course, forbidden in Germany, Italy, Japan, the Soviet Union, and, after General Franco's final victory at the end of March 1939, also in Spain. The rift produced in the working class movements twenty years ago by the emergence of Communism, and partly healed since then in some countries by the so-called Popular Front movement of cooperation of all labor and radical forces, was reopened and even widened by the attitude adopted by the Soviet Union, and, following her example, by all Communist parties after August 1939. The General Council of the International Federation of Trade Unions which met in Zurich, Switzerland, early in July, refused by a large majority to open negotiations with the trade unions of the Soviet Union with the intention of inviting them to join the International Federation. At the same meeting, the delegate of the American Federation of Labor insisted that the peace resolution of the meeting should be based upon the collaboration of all the democratic nations in the world, rather than on hopes for a British-French-Russian mutual assistance agreement, as suggested by the French Confederation of Labor.

In several elections held during 1939 in European countries, the Socialist parties were able to hold their own. The elections held in Denmark in April decreased the representation of the Socialists from 68 deputies to 64, but maintained its position as by far the strongest single party in the Danish lower chamber, whereas in the election for the upper chamber the Social Democrats were able to increase considerably the number of their voters. The elections on March 19 in the Swiss canton of Zurich resulted in considerable gains for the Social Democrats, who are by far the strongest single party in the cantonal council. In Poland also, the elections of May 21 brought unexpected gains for the Social Democratic Party in a number of Polish cities where in many cases they had the majority in the municipal councils.

The Norwegian Labor Party, which has formed the Cabinet in Norway since March 1935, could point to a steady growth in membership, showing an increase from 104,514 in 1934, to 170,889 in 1939. The Norwegian Labor Party controls forty-four periodicals, of which twenty-nine are dailies. The parliamentary elections in Finland on July 1 and 3 brought a marked increase in the votes cast for the Social Democratic party, and also for the two other progressive parties which together with the Social Democratic Party formed the Cabinet. The Socialists, who in 1930 had received 385,820 votes, increased this number at the elections of 1933 to 412,759, in 1936 to 452,751, and in 1939 gathered as many as 515,799 votes, or about 40 per cent of the total number of votes cast. The Social Democrats formed the largest single party in the Finnish Parliament. It should be pointed out that this gain of the Socialists was accompanied with a parallel decrease in the votes cast for the Finnish Fascists, who in the new Parliament of 1939 occupied only eight seats out of a total of two hundred. In the Netherlands the Social Democratic Party entered the Cabinet for the first time. The new ministry which was formed on Aug. 9 under de Geer, includes two Social Democrats, the Minister for Communications and Public Works, and the Minister of Social Affairs. The first of the two, J. W. Albarda, had been the Chairman of the Socialist Workingmen's International. Successes similar to those in many European countries were also achieved in Australia.

The European War which broke out in September found most of the Socialist parties actively supporting the democracies in their fight against Fascist aggression. The British Labor Party supported the Conservative Government in its war policy, but maintained its position as a critical opposition party, jealously watching over the preservation of all democratic liberties and safeguarding the interests of the working class under wartime conditions. The Labor parties in Australia and New Zealand were largely responsible for the enthusiasm with which their countries joined Great Britain in the war. The Socialist Party in France loyally supported the Government. The newly reconstructed Polish government in exile in France was formed with the participation of the Polish Socialists. The sympathies of the Socialist parties in the European countries were entirely with Great Britain, France and Finland in their fight against German and Soviet Russian aggression.

In the United States the wartime sympathies of the Socialists were divided. One group under the leadership of Norman Thomas, several times Socialist candidate for the Presidency of the United States, took a strictly isolationist view. Another group which was chiefly represented by the Social Democratic Federation and its weekly, New Leader, supported the European democracies in their struggle against National Socialist Germany and Communism, generally following the lines taken by the Socialist parties in the European countries and in the British dominions.