Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1944-05-31
We THINK bob" WATT WAS RIGHT
An Attemptto Answer the Question What Shall
We Do With the 9erman PEOPLE After the Wnf2u

Whe think Bob" Watt. American labors delegate to the philadel
phia conference of the International Labor Office, a right when he
problem OF what is Ito be done with the German people after the war
For many, many years German workers were among the most in
telhgent and loyal trade uninonsts in the world They we're more il.
clined to talk Socialism than their American brothers, but that did not
interfere with their devotion to their unions.
Wherever you find it. a labor union is a symbol of democracy
That's what Bob" Watt had in mind when he suggested that a vigorous
labor movement might transform Germany from a warmaking to a
peaee el wing country Hitler feared the German trade unions, and,
caring them, h DESTROYED them, numbering some of their leaders and
dflvng others into exile. He realized that totalitarian dictatorship
and free labor unions cannot exist side by side.
Some Of Mr.. Watts opponents were disposed to hold the German
workers responsible for the existence of Nazism and for its long list of
revolving crimes The fact is the trade unionists of Germany bad
TO go to the ballot box they fought him.
4 But the big fnanciers and industriaHsts ia Germany went over to
Hitler, gave him a majority in the Reichstag and encouraged him to war
on the labor unions. These are historic facts and we can't afford to
ignore them.
If We don't accept Bob" Watts suggestion, what are we to do with
would not tolerate that. We cannot enslave them. because. if we enslave
Gelman workers, We will enslave the workers of the United States,
Britain, Canada and the other United Nations.
Those who doubt that statement should consider what happened
the last World War. Just two examples are sufficient:
Der of tons Of coal IS part of the reparations payment, and they turned
gain prices"
The result was that Britains shipbuldng Industry "a impover.
ished, and thousands of shipyard workers lost their jobs. At the same
time, British coal mine owners lost their customers in France and Italy
They couldn't compete with the free coal Germany was compelled to
That was the beginning of the dreadful depression wich afflicted
England for many years and from which it had not fully recovered when
40 "4 Nu
No, we must not start reforming GERMANY bv further affictne tic
and his liietenapts hig he and ~ amv fg 10y r reao inside o tn I'M warI lit
estates, which have been the breeding places for German milnarHm for
hundreds Of years, and divide the land among small German farmers
Soon they will be o busy cutivating their plots that they will have no
time for war. '' W. Ne ~
OF course, we ae not overlooking the most important item of all
Germany must be disarmed and kept disarmed. That will be a tough Job
because we are afraid the bankers and the industrialsts of the United
States and Britain will do after this war what they did after the last war.
They will join up with German bankers and industrialids, and they
will eagerly exploit workers, not only in Germany but throughout
Bob" Watt didn't get much support at the Philadelphia conference
>" we repea' We thlhk n was shooting in the right direction-Labor