The Cordova daily times., 1922-01-07
By FRITZ EBERT, Jr.

trades union movement is field of such tremendous proportions that it would take volumes to explain it in all its various phases. However below follow a concise outline:
 The German trades unions con- prise a total membership of thirteen million men and women workers. It is needless to emphasize that they rep resent a power with which any gov 1 ernment must count and against which no government can afford to govern The movement has it's representatives in every sphere of German public life; we find them in responsible posts of the smallest community, as well as in the nations government
 In the new Cabinet headed by Dr. Wirth trades unionism is represented by recognized leaders, such as t he Vice Chancellor and Treasurer Bauer, Food Minister Schmidt, both of whom are Social Democrats and graduates of the free" trades unionism; the Minister of Posts, Giesberts, and the Minister of Labor, Brauns. both of ! whom are members of the Chris tian" trades union movement and are close to the Centrist party. The Prus- sian Premier Stegerwald also is prom , inently identified with trades union 1 ism
 4 convincing proof of the strength i of unionism in Germany was fur nishcd in March, 1920. The organized workers succeeded. through a strike which was carried out with unprece- dented discipline and solidarity, ill chasing Herr Kapp and his henchmen ! to the devil and thus saving the life of the German Republic.
 The power of German unionism would be even greater if it were not for the fact that the inner councils are divided against each other. We have, first the Christian" unions They are close to the Centrist party. the alliance dating back to a Papal Encyclical of May. 1921. plead ing for Christian faith" basis of the trades union movement There have been occasional insurgant at tempts against guardianship" by the church, but the trades unions always remained victorious.
 The Christian unions reject all ten dencies within the movement which might bring about an unheaval of the existing social order. They claim that only a thorough "inside-out" change !, of the individual man. whether he be capitalist or workman, can help. This group of unionists has a limited in fluence which is confined chiefly to the workers of the Catholic faith. In 1929 it had 1760,792 members distrib- uted among twenty-five central unions. Their funds amounted to A. 413.950 marks.
 Another group within the German trades union movement is the S O. | called "Hirsch- Duncker" union group. They are essentially nationalistic and except no improvement of their posi- l tion from an international brother hood" One of their principles is to give preference to the road to under standing" They favor the strike only as the ultimate means to be used after all others have failed. In 1920 they had seventeen unions, with 225,99S members, and had funds amounting to 5,33S,52S marks.
 Besides these main groups there are minor ones, including the "syndi- calists" and "workmen's" unions whose membership is recruited mainly from the Ruhr district; the "Polish professional leagues" and the newest creation of the German nationals. the i League of National Workers and Employees"
 Far more. powerful than all these groups are the "frae" unions, count ing nearly nine million members. This group is divided into two parts. the General German Workmen's Union and the General Free League of Elm ployes They are independent of each other, but pledged to cooperate in all questions of common interest.
 Efforts are now under way to add to these two parts third, the League of German Officials" comprising the officials of the Reich, the Federal States, and the communities. How ever, the officials, who graduated from the old school, are as yet unable to reconcile themselves to the idea of be- ing rated on the same level with