The Daily Worker Newspaper, April 18, 1925, Page 7

ore en MAR TTT i ss Sas wha =< es “The idea becomes power when it pene- trates the masses,” —Karl Marx. SPECIAL MAGAZINE SUPPLEMENT P APRIL 18, 19265. Urea erin aetna THE DAILY WORKER. SECOND SECTION This magazine . supple- ment will appear every Saturday in The Daily Werker. ¢ The Mass Lock-Out in Sweden By ARVID F. VRETLING (Stockholm, Sweden) HE present situation in Sweden is characterized by the fact that the capitalists have commenced a whole- sale offensive” against the working ~Class. ‘The -lock-out,, which effects “130,000 workers in. the most import- ant branches of industry, is the signal for great social struggles., But in its struggle the bourgeoisié is not only aiming at economic ends, but is mak- ing a political attack upon the social democratic government and the Com- munist Party. Labor Rule a Farce. The elections in Sweden which took place in the Autumn led to the overthrow of the right bourgeois Tryggen government. The social de- mocracy succeeded again in getting the governmental power into its hands. But the taking. over of the government by the social democracy does not imply a parliamentary vic- tory, based upon a majority in parlia- ment, for the present government is now, as formerly, dependent upon the favor of the bourgeoisie. The capital- ists have understood how to adapt their policy and their tactics to the existing situation. They were perfect- ly aware taht a conflict with the work- ing class would be unavoidable, that the increase in the prices of food was bound to worsen the position of the working class, and that it would there- fore be better to form a so-called la- bor government in order to feed the workers on illusions and thereby keep them quiet. It is much easier to carry out the enslavement of the workers behind the screen of bourgeois de- mocracy and with the help of the social democratic leaders. And in fact the social democratic government has very ably played its role as lackey of the bourgeoisie. The capitalists have made use of the bourgeois slogan of the social democrats, “peace within the country,” in order te launch an of- fensive against the unprepared work- ers. The effects of the Dawes plan are compelling the Swedish employ- ers to cheapen their industrial pro- ducts by reducing wages. When the capitalists raised a cry over the ne- cessity of rendering their industry eapable of competing in the world market, the trade union bureaucrats, in alliance with the government, agreed with it and thereby warned the workers against taking up the strug- gle. ‘ When at the commencement of the New Year the collective treaties were concluded between the employers and the workers in the textile and metal industries, the defeat of the workers was obvious. These agreements have resulted in real wages remaining at the same level, as the price of food is rapidly rising. : Fascisti Used to Break Strike Some groups of the workers have for long been carrying on an isolated struggle against the exploiters. This is the case with the coal transport workers in Stockholm, the electrical engineers, the workers in the pottery industry etc. In these struggles, as well as in the strike of the agricultu- ral laborers and forest workers, strike- breakers and fascist organizations were made use of on a large scale. In north Sweden it came to regular battles beween the workers and the strikebreakers. This fact provided an occasion for the leader of the financial capitalists in the reichstag, Admiral Lindman, to submit an interpellation, as to whether the gavernment was prepared to protect those who were willing to work, i, e., the strikebreak- ers. nn This interpellation, in connection with the new army discipline bill, is the testing stone for the government. In regard to the military question, the social democrats have already ap- proached very near to the proposal of the liberal party and thereby com- pletely ignored. their own election pledges. According to the proposal of the social democrats, themilitary bud- get will amount to 120.million crowns. Against this. proposal the Communists are putting forward the slogan of the “Workers’ and Peasants Militia.” But the bourgeoisie is not satisfied with the proposal of the social democrats and the liberals. It wishes to lay more millions upon the altar of bour- geois militarism, The object of this agitation for armaments is an alliance with Finland and the Baltic countries against the Soviet Union, and the arm- ing of the bourgeois state and its fascist organizations against the work- ers and small peasants. Moscow Worries Them. At the same time there has set in an unexampled campaign against the “adherents of Moscow.” The so-called Communist Party of the renegade Hoeglund and the social democrats are good allies of the bourgeoisie when it is a question of supporting this campaign. The renegade Hoeg- lund has already landed in the stink- ing swamp of social democracy and has set himself one task: to do as much damage to our party as possible. For this purpose he employs. the basest and most mendacious means. But Hoeglund has no influence upon the masses and is only a gramaphone of the revolutionary phrases of Paul Levi and other stranded politicians. The bourgeoisie, of course, makes good use of this treacherous policy of the Hoeglunders and the social demo- crats in order to proceed more sharp- ly against the dangerous Bolsheviks. Many workers have been condemned by the court for having fought against the strikebreakers, among these is the secretary of the Young Communist League and two other comrades who have received six months and one month imprisonment respectively. All this shows*quite clearly enough that the bourgeoisie has made all ,pre- parations in order to undertake a wholesale offensive against the work- ers. The lock-out by the employers’ federations has caused great excite- ” Philanthropist:—Why have you not a home? Unemployed Building Workers:—We build too many homes. IN THE MIDST OF PLENTY ment among the masses, The govern- ment immediately intervened—not to support the workers, but instead ap- pointed an arbitration committee con- sisting entirely of bourgeois people. The chairman is the present ambas- sador in Helsingfors, Elmkvist. The first result of this arbitration com- mittee was the postponement of the lock-out until the 16th of March. Now, as previously, the government and the trade union bureaucrats will do every- thing possible to arrive at a compro- mise and thereby preserve “law and order in the country,” Workers Demand General Strike: The Communist Party of Sweden has issued the slogan of the general strike, and thts slogan has been re- ceived with great enthusiasm at mass meetings held in many places. The social democrats are furious and are attempting by demagogic means to hold back the workers from the fight. In spite of the continually increasing cost of tiving, the slogan of the social democrats is the maintenance of the status quo. The syndicalists have is- sued the demonstration slogan: occu- (Continued on page 8)