The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-11-03
BY A. B. MAGM.

VOCeS ana UflaC IHe communist FAR
ty would make substantial gains in
the coming German Reichstag
elections Nov. 6 was made by Hugo
Graef, Communist Reichstag de-
putty and general secretary Of the
International of War Veterans and
War Victims, in special inter
view with the Daily Worker
Graef, himself a disabled war
veteran, came to this country to
attend the National Veterans Rank
and File Conference held in Cleve-
land in September He left a few
days ago for Germany. where he
will participate actively in the
election campaign and will organ
lie the struggles Of the ex-service-
men of all countries.
The interview, in which Graef
discussed the political situation in
Germany, was as follows:
Question: What is the political
situation ins Germany at the pre-
sent time?
ELECTIONS
ARE FOCAL POINT
Answer: The Reichstag elections
are the focal point of all political
activity. The last elections of July
81 resulted in big gains for the
Communists and National Social
lists, losses for the Socialists and
the smashing of the middle parties
such as the Economic Party, Peo-
pies Party, etc. But the two ses-
sions of the Reichstag that were
allowed to be held completely ex-
posed the Nazis National Social
ists). The Nazi speakers had for
months been believing that what
they wanted was to seize power;
but when Hindenburg dissolved the
Reichstag, they revealed them
selves as consistent defenders of
the status quo. This has resulted
in a great speeding up of the pro-
cess of disintegration within the
Nazi movement. Serious differ
ences have arisen among the Nazi
followers and many attachments of
the Hitherto storm troops had to
be dissolved and reorganized be-
cause of this.
nm the other hand, the Commun-
Vist tactics in the Reichstag. when
by their motion of no confidence
they forced the government to
show it's hand and dissolve the
Reichstag, has greatly increased
the influence of the Communist
Party among the workers and the
lower sections of the petty-bour-
geoiSie. The vote on the motion
revealed that only the handful of
Nationalist deputies supported the
Won Papen government and ex-
posed the entire class character of
the bourgeois dictatorship. When
the Nazis subsequently, discarded
their heroic poses and tarnely SUBJ
mitted to the dissolution decree,
it revealed to millions Of toilers
that only the Communists are
ready to carry the fight against
fascism and hunger to finish.
THE CAUSES
OF PARLIAMENTARY CRISIS
Question: What are the causes
of the parliamentary crisis?
Answer: Seven million German
workers are unemployed. Millions
more are on part time. Large sec
tons of the peasantry and petty
bourgeoisie are being ruined. In
this situation the Won Papen gov
eminent believed that through It's
new emergency DEGREES, that is,
through the systematic plundering
of the workers and middle strata
Of the population, it could find a
way out of the steadily growing
economic crisis. At the same the
German bourgeoisie struck out on
the international field by raising
through the Minister of Defense
Won Schleicher, the demand for
the rehabilitation of German i'm
perialism and the raising of the
army from 100000 to 100000 men
In addition, the German bourge-
oisie announced new plans for
forced labor through the whole
sale militarization of the youth in
a system of nationwide camps.
THE emergency DEGREES have
1 forged new shackles for the
German masses and resulted in
huge profits for the capitalists
There is a law, for example, which
provides that every employer is tc
be given 400 marks in the form
of reductions in taxes for every
worker he employs. This has re-
suited in a system whereby the en-
ployer fires one worker and hires
another and keeps this up indie.
finitely, each time getting credit
for 400 marks in taxes. Through
the emergency DEGREES, the en-
ployer has been given the right tt
dissolve wage contracts whenever
he pleases and to cut wages to
suit himself. In addition, begin
ming with the 3lst hour of work
the boss has the right to pay 81
per cent less than the stipulated
wage. In other words, If mar
works 40 hours a week. he gets g
wage-cut of 1917 per cent.
50eo CTIT
IN SOCIAL WELFARE
The Won Papen government has
reduced all social welfare service:
such as unemployment insurance
old age, accident, health insurance
etc. by so per cent. Nevertheless
| the payments of the workers tt
these funds must continue as be.
fore. 1t was the increased resist.
ance of large sections of the popu.
lation to these fascist measure,
which produced serious divisions
among the bourgeoisie itself, tina