The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1948-11-04
German Unions TODAY

Iunion movement under the assault
of the Nazis.
Although divorced from contro
of outside organizations, the un
ions still are susceptible to ideo
logical influences through the at
Ititudes of their leaders and mem
bers. Today, as in the pre-Hitlel
years most of the western zone un-
ions are Social-Democrats in theil
political thinking.
Communist Strength Declines
Communist strength among the
German workers was at its peak
Immediately after the end of the
war; since then it has dwindled
steadily. At first there was brief
postwar honeymoon when non
Communists and Communists who
had fought side by side against
the Nazis still retained some ami
cability towards each other. In this
atmosphere the eager, energetic
Communists were able at the grass
roots level of the works councils
to make flash-in- the-pan show
ing.
Illustrative Of the decline of the
Communists is the works council
at the Daimler Benz automobile
factory at Stuttgart, whose en-
ployees, by the way, are members
of the Metal Workers union. Up
until the annual election last May
the Communists controlled the
council of 19 members which repre-
sented $500 production workers.
The Communists had 10 members
on the council, the Social-Demo-
Gratis eight and the Christian-Dem-
ocrats one. The election results
swept out all but one Communist
and seated II Social-Democrats;
the one Christian-Democrat was
returned.
The Russian blockade of Berlin
has won the Communists no friends
among the German workers. The
blockade is called the ''hunger
blockade" by the German unionists.
The few spots in which the Com
munists retain strength are at
Hamburg among the dock workers
and in the Ruhr among the coal
miners. On the whole, their number
among the western zone workers is
estimated at 1919.
Democratic Socialist Views
Although the Communists stand
in low esteem among the German
workers, the concepts of democratic
socialism are widely held, even
among the Christian-Democrats.
An example of this attitude: a
resolution calling for socialization
of the coal mining industry was
adopted unanimously last year by
the legislature of North Rhine
Westphalia, where the Ruhr mines
are located.
However, the Social-Democrats
of Germany today place greater
emphasis on being democrats than
ever before. And many of their
leaders insist that they are nom
Marxist. The socialism they
espouse is a planned economy dem
controlled.
Membership Mounting
The western zone unions have
come long way since they started
from scratch after the end of the
war. There are now an estimated
l 10000 union members in the U.
S. zone; 100000 in the British
zone; and 425,O00 in the French
zone. The percentage of union
members of the total number of
wage and salaried workers is esti-
mated at 80 to $3.50.
The Cold War
The German trade unions are in
extricable involved in the "cold
war" which blazes thruout most of
Europe. More than that, the Ger
man unions together with the rest
If Europe's organized workers are
The key to that struggle. This was
long ago by the Russ
an Communists. 1t is now under
stood by American government Of
icials.
Recognition of this understand
ng was significantly indicated in
4 recent article in the conservative
Saturday Evening Post by Demaree
3ess. Bess wrote that American
lrmy officers and state department
,ffcials are now ready to concede
hat "the support of the organized
Tin Europe) may be worth
more to our side than soldiers or !
lollars." II