The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-24
Social Fascism Main
Enemy of Revolution
in Workers Ranks

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ing class was following Austrian so
cial democracy, Is the most striking
example how the tremendous latent
power Of the working class is wasted
away under the leadership of the
Social Fascists,
Or does anybody doubt that one
million Austrian workers, really pre-
pared, organized for revolutionary
struggle, with a clear political leader
ship, would not have been able 10
destroy Austrian faseism and to es-
tablish the power of the proletarian
class? The masses of Austrian work
ers we're possessed by a tremendous
fighting spirit. The united Austrian
proletariat under a really revolution
airy leadership would have been able
to prevent the establishment Of fas-
cism. Such are the grim facts which
the Social-Fascist leaders try to hide.
Tried to Hold Workers Back
But have not Otto Bauer and
Deutsch themselves admitted In
their interview with the correspond
ent Of the New York Times that they
witnessed attack after at aek Of the
fascists, without doing anything, and
that they used all their influence in
order TO hold the workers back from
the tight?
Did they not themselves admit
that they went from POntius 70
PLATE, from one capitalist leader 10
another, in order TO effect a COM
promise with the hourge0isie at a
moment when this same bourgeOiSie
was getting ready to strangIe the
working class, when the bourgeoisie
was Systematically disarning the
workers and was making AL
preparations for the crushing Of
the working class? Did they not
themselves admit In their inter
view that they were even ready 10
allow the establishment of fascist
dictatorship, with a few Commits
sions as fig leaf, Just as German
social-democrscy supported the
Bruening dictatorship?
Did they not try, even at the last
moment, TO hold the workers Of
Linz back from the struggle with
Remain quiet, keep your cool head,
let yourselves be disarmed; IL we
In the party headquarters could
stand IL, then you in Linz can do II
too?
1t is true, the Bauers and Deutschs
we're not successful in this attempt
to prevent the struggle, but this does
not change the fact that they did
everything they could in order to
prevent 1t. But the workers began
to fight. They did not let themselves
be strangled without a fight. They
forced Social-Democracy to declare
the general strike. They fought
herolcally, By their deeds they ne
gated the policy OF their leaders
which was q policy OF dealing with
the enemy generals for the purpose
Of surendering the army.
Yes, it is true, much too long die
the socialist workers allow themselves
to be naisled BY the Social Democratic
policies Of their leaders. This Is the
reason why, after four days of heroic
fighting, the fascist banner Is nov
aloft over Austria
But not for long. For the strug-
gle Of the Austrian working class
shows that 1t is beginning on the
barricades to establish Revolutionary
unity for the struggle against and
for the destruction Of Austrian fas-
cism.
Unity Alone Can Destroy Fascisni
Yes, unity of the proletariat. That
is the only possibility to destroy fas-
eism and the bourgeoisie.
But unity Of the proletariat under
Green destroys the power of the pro-
Ietarian class. Unity under the lead
ership Of Thomas, Dubinsky, destroys
the power of the proletarian class.
For the meaning Of such unity would
not be the systematic defense of the
workers interests, the systematic prep
apartion and education of the work
ers for the big class battles, but would
lead to the submission under the
power of the bOurgeoisie.
Social Fascists Crushed Revolution
After Germany, Aus1ria is the sec
ond striking example where the poll
cies of social democracy are leading
the working class. And the Austrian
events throw an even more glazing
/ light on the whole, dastardly treaeh-
cry of German soeial-democracy The
leaders of German social-democracy
in 1919, 1921 and 1923, crushed the
revolutionary workers with the same
means, as Dollfuss the working class
of Vienna and of Austria. The mas
murder commit ed BY the Do'W''ss
fascsts against the Austrian work.
ers can only be compared with the
mass murder committed against the
German workers, organized and leo
l by the social democratic leaders
Ebert, Noske, Scheidemann, Severing,
who had 10000 revolutionary Ger
man workers, among them Rosa LUX
emburg and Karl Liebknecht, muir
dered.
With the same means, with the
same knavish phrases about Saving
civilization" with which DolkuSs
crushed the Austrian workers. with
the bonnbardment Of houses, with
the use Of cannons and hcwitzers
with the murder Of women and chill
dren, with the execution Of captured
workers, the German Social Fascists
carried out the policy Of saving CAPT
talism from Bolshevism, for fascism
And when German fascism raised
its head, after the revolution had
been crushed under the leadership OF
the German social-fascists, then the
German social-fascists used all their
influence, all their power, all their
organizations to hold the workers
back from the struggle. Yes, Ger
man social democracy succeeded in
doing this.
The ESTABLISHMENTS we're at the
head of the Prussian government