The New York herald., 1922-09-25
SOCIAL DEMOCRATS
UNITE In GERMANY
Majority and Independent
Wings Repair Break of 1916
Over War Policies.
STRENGTH is UNKNOWN
Party Expected to Command
169 Out Of 469 Seats i'm
Reichstag.
STRENGTH is UNKNOWN

BERLIN. Sept "a (Associated Press) -
The union of German Socialist parties
became an accomplished fact to-day
when delegates OF the majority Socialists
and independents met at Nuremberg and
unanimously ratified the decisions taken
at Augsberg and Gera and elected Carl
Kautsky as chairman of the committee
to draft the new party program. For
mer Chancellor Muller, Herr Crispien
and Herr Wells were elected chairmen
of the new party.
Herr Wells. after reading the party
manifesto. declared with reference to the
Near Eastern situation that only fools
could expect advantages for Germany
from an Anrio-French war.
To-days act is result OF the pres
sure of events growing out of the post
war situation in Germany. which for
more than year past has convinced
the leaders of both factions that the
German Social Democracy must again
become a unit 20 protect its political
and trade union prestige and continue
to exert q dominant influence on the
Government.
Since the break which occurred in
September. 1916. over the question OF
voting war credits and other policies
with which the party was confronted
by reason of the world war the ranks
by internecine strife. which with the
advent of the republic and the menace
of Bolshevism became more intense.
The demand for fusion has also been
accelerated by the growing opposition
of the bourgeoisie TO what it consid-
cred the threatened rehabilitation of
Germany and the aggressiyeness of
German industrialism and big finance.
BY pooling its mandates the reunited
.,tll o,,1 niJf nf
in the Reichstag Detection on the
part of former Left Wing independents,
however. may reduce the total by ten,
as Georg Ledebour and other extremists
have announced they would continue
the old Independent organization.
Both wings of the party have a paying
membership of about 100000, althoush
this does not indicate the voting strength
as it is merely viewed as the political
section of German organized labor. which
has an enrolment of more than ten
million.
Just what immediate bearing the new
radical lineup will have on the Parlia-
mentafy situation is not clear. and no
estimate of it's strength is possible until
new Reichstag elections.
ToTavaerts and Die Freiheit are pleased
with the reunion OF the party, while the
Rote Fdhne, Communist organ. also
welcomes the fusion, but only because
IL believes the situation has been clari-
fed and everything now is set for a
Finish fight between the Social Democ-
racy and Communism" The Frank
furter Zeitang believes that uniiication
at this time is especially auspicious in
view of the grave winter conditions con-
fronting the populace and the threatened
Communistic revolt, which il says now
can be better met, since the moderate
labor clements again are unit Trade
union leaders believe that the reunion
will strengthen the cause of organized
laRr.
The Socialists OF America will greet
the fusion of the two Socialist parties
in Germany with feelings of greatest
joy. as being the first sign OF conva-
lescence OF the international Socialisuc
movement. says Morris Hillquit, the
American Socialist leader, in a statement
published in E0rlndevfs