The Washington herald., 1920-09-07
BERLIN SOVIET
PARLEY CLOSE
Three-Day Conference Ends
Without Decision as to
Party Future.
By 5. b. CONGER-
CwashfnEton HeraId-PubIic Ledger
serviee-speeiaI Gable Dispatch.)


service-speciaI Gable Dispatch.)
Berlin, Sept. 6.-The three-day con-
ference of Independent Socialist
leaders closed without a decision as
to whether they shall continue exist
ence as an independent German
party on a Socialist platform or be-
come an out-and-out Communist or
ganization, under Moscow control, as
demanded in the ultimatum from
the Third International. The deci-
sion is put over for the regular party
convention, which the leaders be-
lieyed alone Of sufficient authority to
take so momentous a step in deter
mining the future Of the German
radical movement
Opposed to Dictatorship.
The participants in the conference
as outlined in the issue suddenly
brought to a head by the visit OF
party delegation from Moscow and
an ultimatum from the Bolshevist
leaders and the Third international
showed the bulk of the leaders, ln-
Guiding practically all the veterans
in the German radical movement,
opposed to the Lenine-Trotsky die
tatorship and the MoscOvites in a
clear though powerful minority.
But nobody ventures to predict
how the rank and file will divide.
Many of those infected with extreme
radical ideas are not infected, like
the leaders, by motives of personal
prestige and desire to continue to
run their own show.
Communist Party May Rise.
Without outside supervision, they
may be swept off, with the Daumig
Coterie into German communist
ranks, raising these groups from a
condition of comparative insignifi-
cance to a position of Importance
in German political life
The result is bound to upset the
present basis Of political and revO-
lutionary action in Germany. It
will give, on the one hand, a pow
erful impetus TO the forces seeking
TO overthrow the republic by armed
action; to join with Soviet leaders
in a movement to introduce a die
tatOrship over the prOletariat, and
for the abolition of national boun-
daries which the international com
munists will strengthen. On the
other hand, there are elemnts which
are advocating the attainment OF
a socialist goal by parliamentary
action and BY the gentler methods
Of education and the ballot box.
German Masses Too Intelligent.
The most telling points against
the Moscow pretentiOns to prescribe
the party's policy and tactics, to
control its press and expeI its
leaders not achieving the full Mos
COW program. were scored in de-
late by assertion that Moscow
leaders themselves had departed
from the faith, established by
themselves while in power in Rus
sid. by asserting to a system of
private ownership of lands by. peas
ants, which was by far more stable
and dangerous to the socialist
movement than the old order.
II was also argued that while
the stOlidity and indifference Of tho
Russian masses permitted such die
tatOrship over the prOletariat. as
well as the middle upper classes
as Lenine and TrOtzky with other
educated BOlshevists had estab-
lished it in Russia, the German
proletariat was far too Intelligent
and conscious of its power to ac-
Cept foreign domination and con-
troll.
Copyright. 1870. by Public Ledger Coz