The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-08-26

- between the day when Peter
Grassmann, one of the most promi-
nent leaders of the German trade
union movement, made the first OF
the declarations quoted above, and
the day when Jan Oudegeest, the no
less prominent secretary of the Am
sterdam International, made the sec
ond.
1t may be that when Mr.. Grass
, mann made his declaration he was
sxaggerating a little, and looking too
much at the results on paper of the
so-called German revelation, and TAX
ing too little account of realities. Yet
altho it was even then quite clear
that the revolutionary movement of
the end of 1918 and beginning of 1919
had not brot freedom to the German
working class, the power of the Ger
man trade union movement was still
such that it was regarded as the most
lmportnt stronghold Of the west and
middle European workers movement.
Only half a year earlier the Ger
man trade union movement had by
spirited general strike checked the at
tempts of the German reactionaries
to overthrow the republic, but the
leaders of the movement neglected to
take advantage of the result of this
action, which saved Germany from q
return of the monarchy, just as they
had neglected to pursue the Novem-
Der revolution to its logical conclu-
sion.
Nothing But Defeat.
During the five years which have
since elapsed the German working
class has known nothing but defeat.
Step by step, both politically and eco
nomically, the reactionaries and capt.
talists have not only reconquered
what they lost in November of 1918,
but have also forced the German
working class into a position worse
than they were in before the war.
The time when Germany, with its
so-called democratic regime" was
rightly or wrongly regarded as the
stronghold of liberty" has long since
passed by, and so has the time when
the German working class was regard
ed as the finest and strongest bat
TALON in the International workers
army.
The German movement has become
so weak that had it not been for the
financial assistance given by the
movements in other countries at the
end of 1923, the whole organization
would have gone to pieces The fact
that Mr. Oudegeest, an international
trade union leader who is noted for
the cautiousness with which he ex-
presses his opinions, now comes out
in the open with the statement that
Germany is today one of
the countries most backward socially"
is a fact that speaks volumes.
Bad For All Workers.
From the International workers
point of view the fact that the Ger
man worker has become the "coolie"
of Europe is a very regrettable one.
The fact that in Germany the eight
hour day has been lost in the most
important industries; that the Ger
man worker is shaving at wages one
half or less of what is paid for the
same work in Great Britain; that his
lighting power has become so weak
ened that his employers are virtually
able to dictate their will as to slaves
these things have a very great and
very unfortunate influence on the con-
ditions and the struggle of the work
ers in the rest Of Europe.
The weakening OF the labor move
ment in Germany has been due to
the same reasons which have oper-
ated in other countries; the contro-
yersies inside the movement over
principles and tactics-whether 1t
should be class struggle or class CO
operation. Germany was the first
country where class cooperation was
advocated and worked on a national
scale (as a matter of fact it was
during the same days of November,
1918, when the workers were fight
ing in the streets of Berlin, that a
pact was concluded between Hugo
SHINES and the German trade union
leaders for cooperation for the well
fare of the "Fatherland"
Class Collaboration Proven Failure.
Germany is also the country where
1t has been proved in the most con-
elusive way that class cooperation
only benefits the employers, and that
treason in the class struggle causes
incalculable harm TO the workers.
The fight between those who advo-
cate the class struggle and those who
stand for class cooperation has been
raging turnout the years which have
elapsed since the end of the war,
weakening the movement until it be-
came powerless.
Union Congress August 81.
On August 81 next, the 18th Ger
man Trade Union Congress will be
held in Breslau. A great many OF the
tens which compose the lengthy
agenda show that in many Of the
branches at least there Is realiza.
lion of the causes of the weakness