The daily worker., 1925-04-04
eermany's Communist Candidate.


born on April 16, 1886, in Hamburg.
At an early age he began his revolu-
tionary activities, entering the social
democratic party at 16 and the Trans
port Workers Union, of which he is
still a member, at Is. At first he
worked as a docker, then as sailor
and finally as a transport worker
Even after he had entered military
service he kept up his work both in
the union and in the party, and was
denounced to the military authorities
as red by informers. After his mil
itary service was ended, Thaelmann
was for a number of years member
of the Hamburg Committee of the
Transport Workers Union, and dele
gate to the Hamburg Trades Council;
in the party, in addition to his local
activity, he held the position of dele
gate to the national organization.
Because of his knowledge of var
ious trades, and with the- purpose of
detaching him from the political ac
tivity in which he was very definitely
felt to be force to be reckoned with,
Thaelmann was offered the post of
manager of a large Hamburg con-
Germ, on condition that he would
abandon his political and trade union
work. He refused the "honor"-and
thanks to Thaelmann's energetic work
this same enterprise became one of
the leading revolutionary strongholds
Of Hamburg, and 100 per cent organ.
lied.
At the outbreak of the war, Thael-
mann fought bitterly against the
chauvinism of the social-democratic
leaders. Called to arms, he continued
his revolutionary propaganda in the
ranks, being finally tried by court
martial for treason and thrown into
prison.
After his release, Thaeimann con
tinued the fight. Ordered by the
Spartacus organization to remain and
lead the left fight within the inde-
pendent socialist party to which he
then belonged, he carried on this work
with such energy and skill that
largely owing to his efforts, 95 per
cent of the Hamburg section went
over to the Communists.
Later, as president of the Hamburg
section of the Communist Party, for
many years Thaelmann led all the
political and economic struggles in
which the Communists participated
AS leader of the Communist fraction
in the Hamburg town council, and
later, of the Communist fraction in
the ireichstag. Thaelmann kept up a
constant fight on behalf of the Ger
man proletariat, and ever since the
Hamburg insurrection of 1923, efforts
we're made TO have his parliamentary
immunity as reichstag deputy set
aside.
Thaelmann has aided tremendously
in the development of the German
Communist Party, and was one of the
first to war on the ideology Of Brand
Ter, the leader of the right wing in
the party. The magnificent organiza.
ton of the Fighters of the Red
Front" is also greatly due to his ef-
forts.
In choosing Comrade Thaelmann as
red candidate in the presidential elec-
tions, the German Communist Party
has done this in the knowledge that
his revolutionary life, tireless effort,
the love that he bears the proleta
riat, his unshakable faith in revolu.
tionary force are the living expression
of the force, the theological clarity
and the tenacious revolutionary will
of the German Communist Party.
The Halle Massacre.
The full facts of the Halle massa.
ere, in which seven unarmed workers
were killed and 40 wounded are now
reaching this side.
over 10000 Communist workers