The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-06-13

WORKER has received for publica-
ton the documents on the re-orient-
alton Of the German Communist
Party just before the elections, at
its Frankfort Conference, and the
Judgment Of the Chairman Of the
Communist International, Gregory
zinoviev, on the significance of the
elections. Beginning today, these
documents will be run serially, for
the benefit Of our readers, most of
whom have been awaiting just this
detailed information with great
eagerness. In addition to clarifying
the German situation for American
readers, they contain material of
great value for our own movement)
80
ELECTORAL VICTORIES OF THE
COMMUNIST PARTY OF GER
MANY AND THE FUTURE TASKS
OF THE PARTY.
BY GREGORY zINovIEv.
THE outstanding feature of the par
4 Iiamentary elections which have
been just concluded in Germany, is
undoubtedly the victory Of the Com
munists. However, much our oppon-
ents may strive to conceal this, the
fact remains fact. When the Ger
man Social-D Democratic Party in its
most fiourishing period, led by Aug
ust Bebel, received 100000 votes
during the elections 1908, 1907, 1911,
it was regarded as a world historical
event. With much greater right can
we claim that the fact that the Ger
man Communist Party has received
nearly 100000 votes is an event of
world historical importance.
A Party Of Revolution.
The German Communist Party en-
tered the battle with banners flying,
as the party of ProIetarian RevoIu-
ton. For eighteen months already
the German Communist Party had
openly declared that it will arm the
workers and was preparing for the
armed revolt against the capitalist
system. 1t openly declared war to
the death against the present sys-
tenn and flung its challenge in the face
of the bourgeoisie.
During the election campaign the
German Communist Party told the
workers with frank brutality (and it
acted quite rightly in doing sol that
the regime of bourgeois parliament
arism has become completely bank
rupt and that the Communists will
enter the so-called parliament not for
the purpose of conducting practical
organic" work but for the purpose
Of revolutionary agitation and for the
mobilization of the masses. 1t told
them that the real questions confront
ing Germany could be solved not by
the ballot box, but by armed fighting
and that everyone who voted for the
COMMUNISTS was voting for the Soviet
system in Germany. This resolute but
most appropriate presentation of the
question, undoubtedly repealed all the
irresolute sections of the working
ty. But this did not matter. The
more weight does this give to the al
most 100000 votes that were cast for
the German Communists.
Within the last few months the Ger
man Communist Party has been
wholly absorbed in solving the intern
al problems of the Party which had
become acute as a consequence of
the retreat in October, 1928. A re-
estimation of values and regrouping
Of forces took place and an intensive
and acute internal struggle was car
ried on. There is no doubt that the
election campaign suffered as a con-
sequence of this. Furthermore, the
Party has only just emerged from un-
derground. Hundreds and thousands
Of the best Party workers are still in
prison. The ablest leaders are being
prosecuted and are obliged to act IL
legally. Half the newspapers of the
party were suppressed.
Yet another circumstance must be
borne in mind. The votes cast for the
German Communists were votes cast
for the Party and not for individual
persons. There are almost no great
names" in the German Communist
Party. The party ticket was headed
by the Hamburg workman. Comrade
Thalman, who is only just beginning
to acquire wide political fame thruout
Germany. The more remarkable there
fore, is the brilliant victory of our
party.
/. Communism Acquires Reality.
' The bourgeois and SociaI-Democrat
press is full of election sensations.
Hundreds of newspaper columns are
filled with the petty squabbles be-
tween the various bourgeois factions.
All sorts of conjectures are made con-
corning various inter-party combina-
tions which spring up and wither be-
fore they have time to bloom and all
the time they refuse to see the most
important: that the irreconcilable
party OF proletarian revolution is over