The Daily Worker Newspaper, February 28, 1925, Page 10

Heine ‘Protects’ the Over- powered Socialist Workers. EINE (Barrister): On January 8 the strike broke out among the dock workers of Kiel. On January 29 the social democratic leaders entered the. strike committee, The social democrats. did not prepare the strike, and,their.leaders entered the strike committee. solely for the purpose of protecting the overpowered socialist workers, and in the interests of na- tional defence. (Yorwarts, Dec. 12, evening edition.) Kaiser Socialist, Scheidemann as Witness, \CHEIDEMANN: ‘I did* not hear Wallraf’s speech, tho there is much contained in it to which I could give my agreement. ‘The strike broke “out without our knowing anything about it, and deputations were sent to. } us.asking us to participate. We declin- - ed to do this and sent the delegates away. But. when our, own. followers begged .us to join the strike commit- utee, we -did so with. the expressed in- tention+here I. betray. no secret—of putting an end to the strike as Jo speedily"'as possible. by means or negotiations with the government. There was a strong feeling against us in the functionaries’ meeting, as “sabotagers” of the strike. The workers wanted to stop the electric supply as reply to Kessel’s commands. If we had not entered the strike committee at that time, this court would not be sitting today, precisely as we prevented Russian conditions in-1918. And no newspaper would exist today which could abuse us. What we did was done for love of our fatherland! (Vorwarts Dec. 12, evening édition.) C@CHEIDEMANN: I hear of this leaflet for the first time, When we entered the strike committee, we did this mainly because of the dan- per thatunknown wirepullers would svete to.seize the movement. It is tter’nonsense to maintain that we favored the strike internally. We should have been fit for the lunatic asylum had we done this, after pursuing for four years the straight line of defence of native country. Heine (barrister): Did not the greater importance accruing to the strike thru the participation of the social democratic party have the ef.- fect of extending the movement? Scheidemann: By our participation in the strike the workers were united, and thus the movement could be much more quickly settled than would otherwise have been possible. If an- onymous wirepullers had got the mat- ter into their hands, there is simply no saying what might have happened (Vorwarts Dec. 12, evening edition.) HAIRMAN: Could you issue the slogan for the breaking off of the strike? Scheidemann: That was entire im- possible. All we could do was to take part, in order to bring the affairs to a favorable end. (Vorwarts Dec, 12, evening edition.) Scheidemann: . . . We exerted every endeavor to induce the general commission of the trade unions to take part, This was in accordance with the intentions of the govern- ment. (Vorwarts, Dec. 12, evening edition.) Ebert Ready to Cry—for the Fatherland! EINE (barrister): Do you remem- ber that Ebert declared that the Philistine view of peace at any price did not come in question for the so- *ofal’ democratic workers? Scheidemann> Yes indeed; he de- clared that national defence was un- conditionally imperative. At this session Ebert was called away to receive important military informa- tion from Major v. Bussche. This information was so affecting that Ebert almost wept when repeating it to the party committee. He said: “Now it is more than ever our duty not to fail at this moment.” It was not that we rejected the ee . 7 We war, iv crushing the the war. ‘ demands themselves as such, for these were good enuf in themselves, but we could not agree to the use of the strike as weapon of extor- tion. | ‘ (Vorwarts,; Dec, 12, evening. edition.) Against thé' Amnesty. © : ANDSBERG: Was the demand ‘for an amnesty a particularly critic- al point? Scheidemann: The case was precise- ly the same as today, when our party rejects the qgmnesty demands made on such a large scale by the Commun- ists. (Berlin Rote Fahne, Dec. 12.) Their King’s Evidence. R. LANDSBERG (barrister): Did you not consult with Prince Max of Baden on Sept. 23, 1918? Scheidemann: Prince Max of Baden declared to Ebert and me that he would not undertake the government unless the social democrats partici- pated. The tenor of his speech was that we had held strictly to the line of defence of native country, and that we must hold to national defence. Noske as Witness. OSKE was then heard, on the preparations for the Jan. strike. He declared: On Ebert’s suggestion I became the intermediary between the party and the government irf Sep- tember, 1918. I am thoroly familiar with Ebert’s standpoint with regard to the strike, for I was his intimate friend, and there was hardly any po- litical problem which we did not dis- cuss together, I must say that I am surprised at the way in which a man of such irreproachable char- acter and great patriotism as Ebert has been dragged thru the press and meetings during the last few years. HEN the revolution set in, after shots were fired in consequence of the events in the navy at Kiel, the admiralty feared—not that a revolu- tion might break out—but that the shooting might bring about d strike of the dock workers. It was Ebert who proposed sending me to Kiel, since my relations to the navy might enable me to prevent a rising among the workers. As you will probably know, I went to Kiel; I did not, how- ever, find any strikers there, but 30,000 mutineers. I say all this for the purpose of illustrating my close connection ‘with Mr. Ebert. ~ (Vorwarts, Dec, 13.) He Broke Up the Strike. ANDSBERG (barrister): It is said that the fictitious letter sent by Mr. Pfutze ‘to Kloth contained the statement that a secret party resolu- tion had“been passed, to the “effect that the party should externally dis- approve of the strike during the war, but should support it internally. Witness Noske: That is perfectly ridiculous. The party never came to any such deeision, Had I desired it, there would have been a strike at Chemnitz in January. I do not know who it was in Berlin who suggested nry being sent to Chemnitz during the critical days of January. In Chemnitz the question of a strike was actually being discussed, and, when the move- ment threatened to break down in Ber- lin, it was intended to organize the insurrection on a broader basis, I at- tribute it essentially to my efforts ~ 4 C\7\E of their own mouths wee Social-Democracy Strips Itself Naked Out of Their Own Mouths... . BERT, social-democratic president of Germany, last December broughtsuit for libel against the press and individuals of the monarchist persuasion who had ac- cused him of “treason” during the war. The documents introduced and the testimony the trial have just reached us and they constitute the most damning indictment of the social-democraey ever compiled. publish herewith the second installment of a series of articles composed largely of this matter—most of it taken from the social-democrat press of Germany which published it to show. that during the war the German socialists of the Second International outdid the monarch- ists and capitalists in support of. the kaiser, the imperialist strikes and the revolution that followed ‘given at that, these radical, tendencies were de- feated., The now fugitive Brandler, late government director in Saxony, and. the radical deputy Heckert, were in-Chemnitz at that time, and endeav- ored to organize the strike, I suc- ceeded in: first postponing the vote on the strike since I knew that the Ber- lin strike ;would break down mean- while. The radicals reproached me later on for dragging the matter out and thus breaking up the strike. (Vorwarts, Dec. 13.) Arrest of Rosa Luxemburg. ITNESS GENERAL VRIES.- BERG: I should like to empha- size the following: One day an agent of the social- democratic party came to us and re- quested the arrest of Rosa Luxem- burg or of another woman. We made the arrest. I was the more astonished that it was precisely Mr. Ebert who then at- tacked us severely in the reichstag, and spoke of the case with the intro- ductory words;:-“Another word on the military terror.” (Vorwarts, Dec. 15.) Upon this von Stein, general of the artillery, former minister of war, was heard. . Chairman: The defence asserts that from 1916 onwards the German S. D. party deliberately thwarted the meas- ures of national defence. Witness: I cannot say anything about that, as the party leaders did not invite me to their meetings. But there were difficulties enuf. On one occasion, when a metal workers’ meeting was about to be held, we were applied to by an ag- ent of the social-democratic party, who asked us to forbid the meeting, as their right socialist wing was go- ing to be driven to the wall by the radicals. I prohibited the meeting, and was subsequently severely criticized by Scheidemann in the reichstag for do- ing,so. This I did not understand. (Vorwarts, Dee. 15.) Groner on Social Democrats. HE retired: reichminister, Groner, “was then heard, and made the following statement: ! am not aware that the social- democrats did any harm to the de-. fence of the country, On the con- trary, | have always found Mr, Ebert to possess the fullest under- standing for national defence. Heine (barrister): Do you know anything about Mr. Ebert’s activity for keeping the army together after the breakdown? Witness: Yes indeed. The present President Ebert did his utmost to car- ry out the wishes of the military head. quarters. At that time Mr. Ebert dis- cussed the situation with us every day, in full agreement, and endeay- ored to carry out everything which we suggested and recommended. (Vorwarts, Dec. 15.) Hindenburg to Ebert. EINE (barrister): Are you aware that. General Field Marshal Hin- denburg, was prepared to co-operate with Mr, Pbert? Witness. General Groner: General Field Marshal von Hindenburg was in entire agreement with this co-opera: tion. He was also agreed with our entering into an alliance with Mr. Ebert at that time. I know of a let. ter in which Excellency von Hinden- burg wrote to Mr. Ebert that he, like Mr. Ebert. himself, was willing to place certain feelings and wishes in the background for the sake of. the welfare of the fatherland, and would work in collaboration with him, | Landsberg (barrister): Can you confirm the statement that the letter written by Hindenburg on Dec. 8, 1918 commenced with the following word- ing: = : Dear Mr. Ebert! That | apply to you in the following lines ig explic- able by the-fact that | have been told that you, as a faithful German, loving your fatherland above every- ‘thing else, are prepared to place in thé background your personal opin- “ions and wishes, as 1 teo have been obliged to do, in order to serve the ‘fatherland in its need, For this rea- son | have allied myself with you to save our people from the threat- ened ruin. 1! should like to remind you of your appeal of Nov. 9, in which you say: “The mew government of the reich cannot-fulfillits .task,.unless the whole of the authorities in,town and country lendia-helping hand. | know that many will find .it difficulit to work with the new men who have undertaken to rule the reich, but | appeal to their love for our people. If our organizations fail us at this difficult hour, Germany will -be plunged into anarchy and the pro- foundest misery. Help us by fear- less and persevering work everyone remaining at his post, until the hour of release arrives.” This is followed by several points dealing with discipline in the army, and with the necessity of the speedy convention of the national as- sembly. The letter then goes on: “The fate of the German people has been placed in your hands. It depends on your decision .whether the German reich will revive. !am ready and with me the whole army, to help you without reservation’ fot this aim. We all know that after the regrettable issue of the war, the reconstruction of the reich is only possible on a new basis and in new forms, What we want is that the _festoration of the state is not post- poned for generations by a foolish- ness and blindness completely de- stroying every pillar of our social and economic life. . . “Signed: Hindenburg.” Witness: I can fully confirm the au- thenticity of this letter. (Vorwarts, Dec. 15.) (To Be Continued.) 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