The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-05-05
DAWES PLAN TO
MAKE GERMANY
VASSAL STATE
Communists Denounce
Wall Street Control
nx LOUIS ?. LocHNER


financial colonies of Wall street, ac-
cording to the plan doped out by Gen.
Charles G. Dawes and his committee
Of experts, who have been determin-
ing these months what Germany can
and should pay in the way Of repara-
lions. And, just as in Central Ameri-
ca. it is the native worker who, in the
last analysis, is footing the bill, so,
tao, the workers of Germany will pay
TOR the damages caused by the old i'm
paEial regime.
Workers viii Pay.
To understand what the probable
adoption of the Dawes committee re-
port by the German government
means, it is of the utmost Importance
that one recall the recent joint ses-
sion of the industrialists and employ
ers' declarations Of Germany at Ber-
lin, on March %. Their public meet
ing was preceded by a secret session,
at which, it now leaks out, the chair
man, DR.. Kurt Serge of the Krupp con-
Germ, made the following statement:
I'm principle the fulfllment policy
Of Wirth was correct. But Wirth's
home policy was wrong. We, too,
must stand for the fulfillment policy,
but only under certain conditions.
These conditions are the following:
The political influence Of the work
ers' trade unions must disappear en-
tirely. The federal government must
under no conditions deal henceforth
with the unions. The eight-hour day
must be struck of the statute books.
Collective bargaining on the part of
different unions must be prevented
and the governments right to arbi-
trate in labor disputes diminished.
"All undertakings Of the state, es-
pecially the federal railways, must be
turned over to private capital. Ger
man industry is ready to make sacri-
fees only then, if these conditions are
absolutely accepted. It can turn its
attention to foreign questions only if
It Is certain that the domestic policy
is absolutely clear"
Privately Owned Railroads.
The Dawes report fills in beautiful
~ with this plan. First and foremost,
the long cherished dream of the indus
trialists will come true and the rail-
ways will go over into private owner
ship. It matters relatively little that
| a majority of the stock is to be ma
tional property-the main thing from
the industrialists' point Of view is that
big step is taken in the direction OF
wiping out such beginnings of social
ization as have existed.
Secondly, the Dawes committee in
no sense intimate that the French
troops of occupation are to be with
drawn from the Rhine and Ruhr val
leys. They are to be left there, where
as the management Of industry is to
be turned back to the German owners
The German workers are exceedingly
npprehensive that this merely means
that the industrial overlords will have
the French army on hand as a conven-
lent instrument for stopping "disord-
ers" in case the German workers are
unwilling to give up the eight-hour
day and the principles Of collective
bargaining.
Germany Mortgaged.
Thirdly, Germany is to be weighted
down with an enormous load of obli-
cations in the way of reparation pay
iuents. These obligations are to be
met partly by indirect taxation, and
partly by a first mortgage Of 10 per
cent to be placed upon German indus
Uialists, like the industrial barons of
other countries, have always managed
to throw a large part Of their burd-
ems upon those who work for them, by
holding them down to starvation
wages and by increasing their work
ing hours, and there is no reason to
hope that they will change their tao
tics this time. On the contrary, their
announcement of March 81, quoted
above leads one to infer the very op-
posite.
Socialists For Dawes.
The reception of the Dawes report
By the working class press is interest |
ing. The "Rote Fahne," organ of the
Communist party, calls it "the war
plan of German industry" and insists
that 1t will mean the enslavement of
the working class. The "vorwaerts,"
organ Of the Socialists party. contends
that the acceptance of the Dawes pro-
posals by Germany would mean the in
voking the lesser of two evils, the
bigger evil being a continuation of the
Ruhr fight. While expressing the fear
that the demands upon Germany may
be greater than she can meet, the
-Vorwaerts" regards as hopeful the
fact that the economic unity OF Ger
many is to be re-established. so that
all Of Germany, and not merely the
Rhine-Ruhr region, is to carry the
burden.
Negroes Killed In Storm.
npTCT liz Ala Nav - Lsour