The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-08-04
On the
World Front
-By HARRY CANNES

term, when he openly es-
poused the cause of fascism
and put Hitler into power to
serve the needs of German
capitalism, he came to office with
the help of the leaders Of the So
cialist Party of Germany
Won Hindenburg. the Hohenzol-
lern general, the faithful watchdog
of the most corrupt forces of Ger
man capitalism, was held up as the
very epitome of honesty and liberal-
ity by the German Socialist Party
leaders
The Severings, the Wells and
the Leiparts. leaders of the Socialist
International, very readily made a
united front with Won Hindenburg,
but fought against united front
with the Communist Party in SUPP
port of Ernst Thaelmann as can-
didate for the presidency.
THE theory of the lesser evil" was
1 most avidly put forward by the
Socialist Party officials in the 1882
presidential elections. In March 10,
1882, there were four candidates
namely Won Hindenburg, repre-
senting a coalition of the capitalist
forces: Duesterberg, leader Of the
Stalhelm fascists; Hitler for the Ma
tional Socialist Party and Ernst
Thaelmann for the Communist
Party.
The Socialist Party officials de-
clared they would support Won Hin
denburg against Hitler better the
lesser evil the honest, upright Won
Hindenburg than the fascist Hit
Ter" They urged the workers to vote
for Won Hindenburg as the preserver
of the Weimar constitution, as the
defender of the democracy, as the
enemy of Hitler. They bitterly at
tackled Comrade Thaelmann, de-
claring that by running in the cleo
lions against both Won Hindenburg
and Hitler, he was aiding Hitler.
THE first elections did not bring
an absolute majority for Won
Hindenburg. Another election had
to be held. Duesterberg dropped out
leaving the field to his associates,
Won Hindenburg and Hitler. Again
the Socialist leaders raised the cry:
Smother Hitler with ballots for
Hindenburg." They more viciously
attacked Comrade Thaelmann, de-
claring:
Every vote which is given
against Won Hindenburg is vote
for Hitler. Every vote which Is
wrested from Thaelmann and cast
for Won Hindenburg is a blow
against HitIerw
This is how the Socialist Party
heroes fought faScism and Hitler.
They aided Hitler and the German
bourgeois in alta cking the Com
munist Party. built up the forces Of
reaction. playing the game of the
capitalists in trying to make the
workers think there was a great
deal of difference between Won Hin
denburg and his protege, Hitler.
They told the social democratic
workers won Hindenburg was and
will remain impartial"
On January 30, 1888, the 'im-
PARTIAL Won Hindenburg, the So
cialist Party's bulwark against
Hitler and fascism, appoined Hit
Ter chancellor and gave him carte
blanche in the bloody attack on
the German working masses.
With blosheyik foresight,
With OILS h evik foresight
"Pravda" central organ of the Com
munist Party of the Soviet Union,
on March IT, 1882, after the first
presidential elections, commented
editorially as follows:
ut is characteristic of the tram
sition of the bourgeoisie to the
open forms Of the fascist die
tatorship that the most reaction
airy candidate at the presidential
election in April 1925, namely, the
monarchist and HohenzolIern
General, Won Hindenburg, has
now become, as the social demOc-
racy prOclaims, the candidate of
the advanced part of the bour-
geOisie against its reactiOnary
mart fha ~ ndidafo x,,do - - II
legged, stands for the remnants of
bourgeois democracy
"V0n Hindenburg and Hitler,
who at bottom are synonymous,
were represented by the social
democracy to the politically mex
perienced masses as being an
tagonistic."
IN announcing Comrade Thael-
mann as the only candidate of
the German proletariat, as the only
representative of the anti-fascist
front, the Communist Party of Ger
many pointed out what has since
been proven to the hilt, that Seve-
ring, Socialist Prime Minister Of
Prussia, was working hand-in-g glove
with the Won Hindenburg forces to
pave the way for Hitler. Severing
has since received his pieces of
silver in the form of pension from
the Nazis.
The program on which Thael-
mann ran and received over
100000 votes, stated:
|. Glass against class; 2. Revolu-
tionary united front against reac-
ton from Severing to Hitler; 3.
Vote for the revolutionary workers
candidate against the candidate of
the capitalists, fascists and social
democrats; 4. Vote for the sup
porter of social and national eman-
cipatiOn and against the trib,lta