The Daily Worker Newspaper, March 7, 1925, Page 8

Social Democratic Fakers Rob the Unions (Special to The Daily Worker) TOCKHOLM—(By Mail)—The re- formist labor movement shows the same sign of decadence as capi- talist society, with which it has been closely bound up for the last few years. It is no longer, as before the war, a state within the state, but it forms in all countries an integral part of the state, which it formerly wished to destroy, and it is for this reason that it must undergo the same process of decay as that which is undermining the capitalist state. In the social democratic movement one meets with all the defects of the capitalist state, and it is character- ized just as the other, by corrption and graft. It is no longer a question of isolatéd cases, as one might ob serve before the war; the exception has become the rule. It must not be forgotten that one swindler does not voluntarily aid in unmasking the other, and that the bourgeois and social democratic bu- reaucracy succeeds, in*most cases of graft, in hood-winking the public. We see the same picture, not only in Germany, where social democracy first came to power, but also in other countries, in which a “normal” gitua- tion still exists. We see how chiefs of the social democratic parties and the trade un- ion leaders make profit out of their opinions, how they sell themselves to their “enemies,” and how they dupe the workers who put them into office. N Sweden, where -social democracy is the party in power for the third time in four years, one big scandal has been taking place after the other, and the graft in the labor movement is constantly on the increase. Just as in Germany, the corruption in Sweden began since the war, and the first one to sell himself to the enemy was the greatest among the great, Hjal- mar Branting, the leader of the social democrats, who, during the war trav- eled, as an agent of England, thruout TOpurope, "preaching; evidently for good pays ‘the “war-of right” among the central powers, and coming: out for in- tervention in Russia after the Bolshe- vik victory. N another occasion, accompanied by a large number of Danish la- bor Jeaders and their German breth- ren, Branting made an expedition to the German western front. Upon their return, the labor fakers sud- denly became possessed of the means for founding a company for the im- portation of coal, and, in order to show themselves properly gratefu for the generosity of the imperial gov- ernment, they naturally felt under an, obligation to give public expres- “sion ‘to their sympathy for Germany's “Sust cause.” During the first months after the end of the war, a large num- ber of Swedish labor leaders were mixed up in various shady deals in- cluding the sale of rotten provisions to the counter-revolutionary troops of Yudenitch. 'HE whole of the coalition govern- ment was involved. Certain min- isters and members of parliament had to be sacrificed in order to calm down the public before the elections . .» .In October of this year it was discovered, after the death of the treasurer of the Swedish Railroad Workers’ Union, Carlbom, that he had been systematically stealing from his organization for the last ten years. More than a million and a half kronen had been embezzled during this per- fod. The indignation aroused by this discovery had not yet died down, when the treasurer of the Lumber . Workers’ Union committed suicide, . and it was afterwards found that he had run thru 150,000 kronen of the funds entrusted to him, LREADY after the first incident, the president of the Swedish Trade Union Federation had promised to see that a searching investigation was made into all union treasuries, but this promise was not carried out, and everything continued as in the past; and now, at the demand of in all countries. The extent of the graft and action. tee, the attorney of the Goteborg Metal Workers’ Union, F. J. Moberg, has been impeached and arrested. Moberg who, as secretary of the un- ion, received a sairy of about 5,000 kronen, found this salary insufficient for the needs of a one-time worker, and so he set up a pipe-fitting com- pany, of which he was the boss. He set aside a special room in the offices of the trade union for handling his business affairs. He had an automo- bile, and for five years played the part of the “grand seigneur,” without the union executive committee, which knew all about his activities, lifting » finger to put a stop to his graft. Moberg used about 43,000 kronen of the union funds in speculation, and he concealed the deficit always by paying the union dues to the central trade union committee several weeks late. ‘HE investigation showed that Mo- berg, who was one of the main leaders of the social democratic party of Gothenburg, was, among other things, municipal councilor of this party, and had several aecomplices among other party members. He was, in addition, director and business manager of the important social democratic paper Nye Tid, which, after the discovery, made desperate efforts to save their grafting col- league, The social democratic editor of this paper, who had a yearly income of 10,300 kronen, had joined Moberg in buying shares in a shady enter- prise. On the former’s imitiative a committee was formed, which de- elared that it was willing to save Mo- bert, by refunding a portion of the stolen money, but only upon certain conditions. They stipulated that the executive committee of the local union should keep the committeé’s action secret, making it appear as Mobert had made good his theft himself, and tell- ing the union membership merely that when the books were examined it was. found that the union’s money had been employed in an unwise fashion. F these conditions were complied with, a small part of the money could be paid in cash, and for the re- mainder, stocks (which happened to be worthless, by the way), would be given as a “guarantee.” These conditions are extremely edi- fying. They show the moral depray. ity of the social-democratic “class fighters,” who were not ashamed to ask their comrades to swindle the 6,000 members of the local union, in order to save the “honor” of a thriy- ing leader, or rather, to save a whole gang of social democratic thieves and grafters from the scandal that was threatening them. The local trade union committee had the decency to reject the propo sitions, whereupon the gang left their brother to his fate. Moberg was fin- ally brot to trial, and sentenced to a year in jail. The union immediately elected a Communist, one of the lead- ing militants, in his place. A. FEW more instances must be added to this edifying recital. Last December, the treasurer of the Gotheborg local of the Factory Work- ers’ Union was arrested for robbing his union of some 12,000 kronen. Then, just before Christmas another official of the Metal Workers’ Union, ee! Communists, on the revision commit-Lundin, of Stockholm, treasurer of a tif} socialist supporters of world capitalism—its last bul- wark in fact—debauched by capitalism, act the same The betrayal of the workers of Germany and the cor- ruption among the leaders of the social-democrats there is being paralleled now in all European countries. [NX the Scandinavian nations the machinery of the trade unions, like in Germany, was in the hands of this group. until more or less accidental revelations brought a flood of disclosures that has shocked the masses of the workers-into ;s Communist press does not chronicle these disgraceful matters with any sense of joy but only with the realiza- tion that the moral breakdown of social-democracy is coin- cident with and a consequence of its political insolvency. thievery was not suspected co-operative society of the Stockholm Pipefitters’ Union, was arrested for taking 45,000 kronen of the society’s funda, out of which, by the way, he built himself a beautiful residence. When this last theft was discover ed, Lundin promised to refund the sum that he had stolen, on the con- dition that no case would be brot against him. The other trade union bureaucrats were willing to accept but the Communist members of the union raised hell, and the Communist Press made the scandal public, and Lundin was arrested. UNDIN is the fifteenth In a ser- les of “leaders of the Swedish working class” who have been shown up as thieves and forgers within the last four months. These continued revelations of the corruption of their leadership are be- ginning to arouse the rank and file in the unions to opposition, and the Com- munists are gaining in influence. At an extraordinary congress of the ae 1113 W. Washington Blvd. = LLL THREE COMMUNIST LEADERS Contribute on an important discussion in the new pamphlet just off LENINISM —-~ or —— TROTSKYISM — by — G, E. Seedioe, I. Stalin and L. Kamenev This —— or bound pamphlet of 75 pages will contribute greatly a thorough Communist understanding. 20 Cents Each Get it from your branch or City Daily Worker Agent or directly from THE DAILY WORKER Literature Department Railroad Workers’ Union, recently held in Stockholm under pressure of the rank and file in order to discuss the thefts of the treasurer, and other irregularities in the executive com- mittee, the Communist representa- tion was stronger than at any prev ious congress. Among the delegates from northern Sweden, 19 out of 25 were Communists. In order to divert attention from the principal question on the order of the day, the bour- geois and social democratic press came to the aid of their allies and representatives, the labor fakers, and launched a violent campaign against the Communists, N all the unions the labor bureauc* racy is fighting to keep its hold on the workers, but the latter are thoroly disgusted with the social dem- ocratic leadership that has cynically robbed them, at the same time refus- ing funds for carrying on strikes, brought chaos into the unions, and systematically sabotaged amalgama- tion, which was voted for several years ago by the rank and file mem- bership. And there are already def- inite indications that they are. turn- ing to the Communists for leadership in their struggle against the new of- fensive that capital is launching against them under the Dawes” plan. 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