The Washington times., 1934-10-27
WORKORPR|SON
ED|CT To NAZ|
WORKMEN

q COHCGHLTuLtOH CUHIp 10 CIb0
order of the day among the
aDorkers of Ndzi Germany. H.
r. Knickerbocker 1DriteS in the
Sirth article OF his series:
democracy US. DictGtorShtp.D
By H. R. KNICKERBOCKER
Copyright. 1884, BY International
News ServIce)
Reproduction in whole or part
strictly fOrbidden)
BERLIN, Oct. q I.N.S0.-The
workmen struck. The storm
troops came. Behind each work
man stood a storm trooper.
"Work or go to concentration
camp"
They worked.
This picture of the life Of
labor under National Socialism
might we'll have served for a
cartoon of what happens to
labor when it surrenders democ'
racy and with it, liberty. But
1t is not cartoon. it is a fact.
It was in the factory of Baer
and Stein, manufacturers among
other things of automobile radia.
tors. The factory is on the out
skirts of Berlin.
For four weeks the workers had
received no pay. The company had
gone bankrupt. A receiver took it
over. Pay day came again on
March 81, 1884. Again the pay
master failed to show up.
They Went to Work
There were 500 workers in the
factory. They laid down their tools
and declared they would have to
see their wages before they would
work again. There was no money.
Next day they all turned up, but
dill not work. The management
argued. The men remained firm.
But strikes in Nazi Germany were
against the national interest.
In half an hour the storm troops
were there. Each wore a revolver.
There was no thought of resist.
ance. The workers went to their
benches, the foreman switched on
the machines.
Fear Rules Them
The paymaster appeared. The
men got their wages for the cur
rent week. The storm troops dis
appeared. The conflict was ended.
Eight men were discharged.
In the coal mine "Vereinigte
KonStantin" near Bochum, where,
also in March, the men were
called together to hear a political
speech by a Nazi leader. At the
conclusion of the speech a miner
stepped forward and said:
"NOW we've heard that, I'd
like to s.y few words"
The manager said:
"Oh no, the meeting is over"
But the man spoke, The gen.
eral manager fired him. His fellow
miners called a meeting. struck
for one shift, and demanded the
reinstatement of the miner.
The works managers telephoned
Immediately for the trustee of
labor for their district.
There are thirteen trustees of
labor for all German industry.
They are the heads Of the Nazi
organization of Labor. They rep
resent the interests of the nation,
are supposed to hold a balance be-
tween labor and capital. settle
their disputes, prevent strikes or
lockouts and insure industrial
peace. Their word is law. and
behind them stand the armed
forces of the state.
Again They Obeyed
In the "Vereinigte Konstantin"
affair, the trustees decreed that
the oratorical miner was properly
discharged, and ordered that the
men should do a night shift of
five hours to compensate for the
shift they struck. They obeyed.
The Nazis took partial power
legally in January 1888, and seized
all of it in March and April, after
the ReichStag fire. Shrewdly they
waited to consolidate their strength
before tackling the workers. They
announced that May first should
no longer belong to the Reds, but
to Nazi labor, and on May /,
1888. with fireworks and a regi-
ment Of bands, one-million Berlin
workers were gathered on Tempel-
hof Field to hear the Nazi leaders
speak for labor.
The next day every trade union
headquarters in Germany was oc-
cupied by Storm Troops and the
principal leaders arrested.
The unions had 100000 mem
bers. They were the strongest
trade union in the world.
They were too rich and fat to
fight. The German trade unions
were the richest in the world.
Their property and bank accounts
estimated at around $50 900,
were seized. The money went to
the German work-front, a skele-
ton Of the corporate state.
monday the mobilization of
workers in Nazi Germany will
be diScuSsed.)