The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-01-01
Son of German President
Tells What He Believes
Labor Situation Means

tNo,e In view of the critical labor
Sltuation In uermany. with reports Of
new general strike growing more and
more frequent the Herlin correspondent
OF the international News Service asked
Irith Ebert. Ir, son ot tho president of
th" german republic, to write an article
~ thr GERMAN labor organizations. Herr
ing specialized In ~ study for years iIe
- orc OF the editors ot the Social Demo
cratic organ. Nurwacrtsb
BY FRITZ EBERT. IR.
son Of the President Of tho German
Republic.
written eSpressly Tor Inter. News Service
tcopyright 1921. Inter News Service !
BERI.IN.--Tho German trades
sini1n movement In n field of such.
tremendous proportions that Il would
take volumes To explain Il In all its
various phases. However, below fol-
lows n concise outline:
Tho German trades unions COM
prise total membership of $4,000,
900 men and women workers. II Is
needless to emphasize that they rom
resent n power with VIII lch any gov
crnment must count and against
which no government can afford TO
Ngovcrn, The movement has ia rep-
fesentatives IN every sphere of Ger
inan public life; We find them In
responsible posts OF the smallest
community, as wen as in the nations
government
In the new cabinet headed by DR..
Wirth, trades unionism is represent
cd by recognized leaders, such as the
vice chancellor and Treasurer Bauer,
Food Minister Schmidt. both OF
whom are social democrats aud grad
yates of the free" trades unionism
the minister of posts. Giesberts, and
the minister of labor, BrRuus, both
Of whom are members of the Chris
tian" trades union movement ana
are close TO the centrist party. The
prussian premier Stegerwald, also
Is prominently identified with trades
unionism,
\ oonVipclng proof of the strength
of unioulsm In Germany was fur
nishtd In March, 1920, The organ.
ized work ers succeeded, through n
strike which was carried out with
Unprecedented discipline and soil
darity, IN chasing Herr Kapp and
hls henchmon 10 the devil and thus
saving the life of the German re-
public.
The power OF German unionisu
would be even greater II II were moi
for the fact that the inner councils
are divided against each other
NC nave lllNls AilN 7 III lNlliN
unions They are close TO the contrls
party, the alliance dating back to O
papal eucyclical of May 1921 plead
ing for "Christian faith basis o
the trades union movement There
have been occasional insurgent nt
tempts against guardianship" by the
church but the trades unions always
remained victorious.
The Christian unions reject al
tendencies within the movemen
which might bring about an up
hoaval OF the existing social order
They claim that only a thorough
"inside- out" changed the indlvidua
man, whether he be capitalist ol
workman, can help. This group %
linionisin has a limited influence
which Is confined chiefly TO th'
workers OF the Catholic faith. II
1920 Il had 1,7G0,792 members dis
tributed among 25 central unions
Their funds amounted to 4'4l3'9o'
marks.
Another group within the German
trades union movement IL the so
called "Ii.rsch-Dunckor" uniol
group They are essentially nation
aillic and expect no improvement
ot their position from AN 'intvruH
tionnl brotherhood" One Of thoi
principles is TO give preference 4
"the road 20 understanding, Tho!
favor the strike only as the ultimat
means 10 be used after ALI other
have failed In 1890 they had
unions. with 225,9gS members, an'
mad funds amouuiing 10 $685.
marks
Besidese these main groups ther'
are minor ones, including the syn
dicalists" and "workmens" union
whose membership Is recruited
mainly from the Ruhr district; thu
Polish professional leagues" and thu
newest creation OF the German ma