The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-02-07


and misery now prevailing a
home.
In order to understand this
strike we must know something
of the struggle of the workers
since the Armistice.
1t was the seamen who con-
tributed marvelously to the
German revolution in 1918. The
sailors of Kiel revolted and in
all the ports they were in the fore
front, which made the Weimer con-
stitution possible. But since then
they have always been betrayed by
the Social Democrats. Noske at the
very start established his policy
which has characterized the rule of
Social Democracy and the bureau
cracy of central trade unions ever
since.
He congratulated them at Kiel
upon their achievements in saving
the revolution, which kept him and
his colleagues in power during the
Kapp Putsch, but when they contin-
ued to fight to make a complete
working class revolution, he replied
with machine guns the very next day.
The history of the last five years
is one of bloody suppression.
Last Year the Worst.
The last year has been the
worst for the German seamen since
they helped to dethrone the Kaiser.
The rapid decline of the mark has
affected seamen most, as they re-
ceived their wages upon returning to
the home port. Sailors who were
away on a three months voyage
had not enough to even buy one
loaf of bread.
And even with the established
rate at the time of signing, their
wages were below that of the Chi
nese many times. Despite these
facts, the leaders Of the reactionary
unions refused to make common
cause when the Deutsche Shiffahrts-
bund-the German Seamen's Union
of the r. I. L. U. went on strike,
and the seamerf were beaten back
to their ships.
Exasperated and desperate, in
August they again revolted. The
lockers and seamen struck. The
roll of dead after three days strug-
gle left its mark upon the memo
ries Of starving women and consump-
tive children. The Hamburg State
in control of Social Democrats; and
their blood-thirsty chief Of police
was responsible for the death of
our German fellow workers. A
slight increase in wages was given,
but the continued fall Of the mark
had taken it away in few days.
Then the sailors wives must stand
around the shops with empty bas-
kets. Prices had risen, their money
was valueless. Again the familiar
phrases were heard everywhere:
"Keine Brot! Keine Kartofelw mo
breadl No potatoesl) The union
offices invaded by sobbing women
asking for aid for their children.
Again Forced to Revolt.
This went on and on. Until again
in October the workers were forced
TO revolt. Cuno's government had
fallen in August and cheeseman's
rule had produced nothing better.
The vacillsting policy of the Social
Democrats had paved the way for
ultimately, their complete elimina-
ton from the government. The suf-
fering was uncomfortable and bread
prices rose in one day from 35 to
450 millard marks. The last week
in October, a elimination to their
suffering, found the workers of
Hamburg behind the barricades
fighting desperate battle for
bread. They lost the battle physi-
cally with 81 dead and many wound
ed, but not until they had inflicted
great losses upon the forces Of
Capital.
The. outcome Of all this is: the
seamen have been forced 10 take
action outside Of Germany. The
white guards of Noske are impotent
when the sailors take international
action. They have found another
place to strike in, where the bullets
of the Reichwehr and Green Police
cannot be used against them.
Contrary to the statements made
that British shipowners are sup
porting the strike and that the Ma