Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-12
Europe's Troublemakers

meetings they are preceded by brass
bands and colors! In a word. they
try to be an imitation of the old Ger
many army.
A rapid definition of what Com
munistic forces are at present in Ger
, many may bring us to some conclusions
concerning the hidden program OF the
hidden leaders of the party Of which
Hitler is only the figurehead. The
Communists are the only party except
the Hitlerians which increased their
strength during the September elections.
They had 81 seats in the last Reichstag,
and they now have 76l They have
become the third party in Germany!
All their gains have been at the ex-
pense of the Social Democrats. AS q
matter of fact, the increased number
of voters (85 per cent went to the polls
instead of 70 per cent at the preceding
election) came from the impoverished
middle classes for which the Com
munistic program had no attractive
slogans like those Hitler offered to
them.
What Remains in Germany?
The real problems of tomorrow in
Germany are not, in my opinion, what
Herr Hitler is going to do or to think,
granted that he Is capable Of any
thinking! They are not even whether
the Communists may become a real
danger. The problems worth studying
in the present period of crisis and
ordeals for Germany have a much more
general and human importance.
AS I see them they are: What Is
there left of force and life-moral life
which means much more than the eff
cheney of an electoral organization--in
the Social Democrat party? What is
the degree of political comprehension
among the capitalists who have given
their financial support to the Hitlerian
troops? And. finally. whether or not
we are confronted in Germany with
one of those crises of incapacity for
political decision which has appeared
so frequently during her history.
The problem whether the Social
Democrats still represent a living moral
force or whether they are merely a
powerful organization Is Of a wide hu-
man mportance-becauSe, were it to be
proved that they have lost their moral
force we should be obliged to draw the
conclusion that such is the penalty
party has to pay when it comes to be-
lieve only in materialistic and economic
forces and discards those idealistic cur
rents which alone are capable of making
history.
The Socialist party in Italy paid this
necessity of individualistic life and
went on repeating the MARKHAM for
mulas like religious commurAy NUT
tering its empty prayers. When in the
face of the Italian Fascists, who had
managed to hide their greed under
cover Of idealistic slogans-just as
Hitler is now trying to do-the strength
OF Socialist party might have been
useful to the moral equilibrium of the
italian nation, 1t was found that there
was little to back it. The Socialist
party, however much it could boast of
to destroy what remained of its force.
morally respectable leaders, was no
longer up to its task! For, confined
within lifeless theories, it went on ig-
noring the value Of human idealism.
And that is why the cheap phraseology
Of ex-Comrade Mussolini was easily able
The defeated Italian Socialist leaders
were right in complaining Of their
Socialist leaders. That Is why one has
the right to wonder how much of
real human force Is still behind the
formidable frames of the party, which,
numerically speaking is still one Of the
most important in Germany.
The second point worth considering
Is the degree Of political ripeness which
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