220 
THE SOCIALISM OF TO-DAY. 
ground. Nevertheless, Belgium presents conditions excep 
tionally favourable to its development. The number of 
working men is very considerable, and as the population is the 
most dense in Europe, wages are lower than in the other 
western countries. 
The International did not penetrate into Holland until 
towards 1869. A section was constituted at Amsterdam with 
a paper. De Standaari des Volks. It soon began to radiate and 
to found other sections in the principal towns—at Arnhem, 
Utrecht, Haarlem, Leeuwaarden, and Rotterdam. A general 
association, Ifet Nederlandsch IVerklieden-Verband, was estab 
lished with the intention of grouping all the working men’s 
societies of the country. But the local spirit of individuality, 
which is very pronounced in Holland, put numerous obstacles 
in the way. After the first period of expansion and enthusiasm, 
the International, even before its disappearance, lost a portion 
of its conquests. The Socialistic movement is still, however, 
represented by a few groups and by the newspapers Oosi en 
JVesl and Heekl voor alien. Here, too, complete liberty has 
prevented any explosion. 
Socialism percolated from Germany into Austria as early as 
1866. The International endeavoured to organize it as early 
as 1868, principally by means of the apostolate of Bernardt 
Becker. In order to demand universal suffrage, it instigated, 
on several occasions, meetings at which thousands of working 
men were present. Its organ was the Arbeiter Blatt. In 
January, 1869, the number of members was at least twenty 
thousand, of whom Vienna supplied ten thousand. In February 
of this same year the great association of Tehee working men 
joined it and extended its ramifications to Prague. In February 
the Socialists convoked a great gathering in which about thirty 
thousand persons took part. On the 13th of December, the day 
of the opening of Parliament, more than a hundred thousand 
working men congregated in front of the palace where the Parlia 
ment met, and eleven delegates were admitted to present a peti 
tion to the president of the council. Count I'aafe. This caused 
alarm. Prosecutions were ordered and some sentences pro 
nounced. The police left the Socialist journals and associations