The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-01-14
Complete Surrender to Bourgeois Parties
On the Program of Government

ment from a Weimar coalition into
grand coalition.
Act as Individual Socialists.
To free themselves from the re-
sponsibility to the party, the social
democratic ministers accepted the
suggestion of Stresemann that the
members of the government should
act not as representatives of their
respective parties, but as individ-
uals, pending the settlement of con-
troversial questions as regards the
composition and program of the
coalition. The result of this ar
rangement was presently felt, par
ticularly in relation to the construc-
ton of new battleships. The repre-
sentative of the bourgeois parties
in the coalition, of course, persis-
tently defended the interests of their
class; whereas on every controver-
sial issue the social democratic min
listers awaited themselves of the
freedom of responsibility to the
party to betray the class whom they
pretended to represent in the gov
eminent.
Betray 10000 Workers.
To cover up their surrender on
essential questions concerning the
policy of the government, the social
democratic ministers desired to have
four points of minor Importance
settled. They had to do something
about their election pledges. The
points they raised were about ~
amnesty for political prisoners; (2)
Legislation making the day of the
adoption of the Weimar constitution
national holiday; 90 Educational
reform; and a. Construction of
battleships. None of these are re-
motely connected with the burning
economic demands of the working
class, not to mention the realiza-
ton of socialism. Nevertheless
even these points were not conceded
by the bourgeois parties. Except
partial amnesty, no agreement
could be reached on the other items
| In Difference to the sentiments OF
the not negligible monarchist ele-
ments among its supporters, the
peoples party, and even the center
party, would not commit themselves
as regards legislation about a repub-
lican national holiday. Still, the so.
cial democratic leaders did not hest.
tate to betray nine million working
class voters for the bourgeois re.
public! The catholic center party
was opposed to educational reform
freeing the schools from the domina-
ton of the church.
Cruiser-Building Crisis.
But the first shock to the coali.
ton, throwing the social democratic
party in the throes of an unprece.
denied crisis, resulted from the con.
troversy on the construction of new
battleships. The previous govern.
ment, in spite of the opposition Of
the social democrats, had decided t.
build four armored cruisers replac.
ing the old ones left to Germany BY
the Versailles Treaty.
On the insistence of the bourgeoi:
parties the settlement of the con.
troversy over the construction Of
the battleships, together with ali
the other controversial questions
major or minor, were postponed un.
til the grand coalition would be
definitely constituted in the autumn
after the republican government Of
Prussia had been adulterated with
monarchist leven. So, the socia
democrats entered the coalition un
conditionally, on the terms dictated
by the bourgeoisie, even by the mon,
archists.
Permit Warship Building.
Presently, the bourgeois ministe,
OF defense, . general Of the old