The Daily Worker Newspaper, January 22, 1927, Page 14

* The National Congress in Berlin’ By FRITZ RUCK (Bertin) Far Congress of Working People which took place fn Berlin from December 8rd to 5th tar exceeded fm every respect the expectations which had been placed on it. It demonstrated the existance of a broad mass movement in Germany fed from the most various sources which, however, have a com- mon origin: Intensified exploitation and oppression of the masses by large capital, growing pauperiza- @on of every widening circles who are beginning to combine for organized resistance. Following on the 14,500,000 votes in the referendum with regard to the expropriation of the princes, the congress was the second answer of the working masses of Ger- many to the attempt of German large capital to con- eolidate its economic and political positions of power by an intensified exploitation and oppression of all @trata of workers, and to make a transition to a mew era of an independent imperialist policy. The composition and the radius of influence of the congress are characterized by the following facts, B&B was attended by 2,000 delegates, who, without exception, were financed by the factories, trade un- fons, committees of unemployed and other organiza- tions, by which they were nominated. In view of the present economic crisis, this means a tremen- dous effort. It was a congress which was supported from below, by the working masses themselves, and for this reason, all the greater effects may be ex- pected from it. The commission for examining the mandates reported that the 1956 delegates who pass edithrough a double control and who were present mt every session of the congress, were distributed as @oliows: 5S. P. of Germany 137 delegates, C. P. of Germany 858 delegates, ‘Socialist League 15 dele- gates, Independent Socialist Party of Germany 16 @elegates, Christian Socialist National party 9 dele- gates, Democrats 3 delegates, non-party members 690 delegates, representatives of the peasants 42 delegates. More than 200 delegates who had already been nominated and who are not included in the above figures could not appear at the congress, a3 for financial or other reasons they had to abandon their intention of coming to Berlin, Although the threats of the executives of some of the biggest trade unions to exclude delegates to the congress passed off in smoke in the majority of cases, a num- ber of delegates were nevertheless deterred by 'them: from visiting the congress, : Ou’ behalf ‘of the preparatory committee, George ‘\Ledebour opened the congress. In short outlines ‘MWe described the misery. of the working population fm Germany and pointed out that the workers and peasants of Soviet Russia had, by their example, wahown the working people the way they should take, | Ledebour, Fritz Heokert, Schreck (S. P. of Ger- | many), Freiberger (Munich) and Fritz Ruck, es well @s representatives of all the social strata and po- } ditical groups represented at the congress, were @lacted into the presidium, Before starting on the agenda, the congress unani mously passed a resolution in favor of the release j@f the political prisonérs and another against the ; &ill regarding impure literature. It was resolved to a@ispatch a telegram to Max Holz. Comrade Fritz Heckert read a paper on “The Dan- get of War, the Crisis of Rationalization aud the Workers’ Fight for Existence.” He depicted the present situation of the workers, the small peasants and the working middle class, and brought evidence to the effect that the permanent deterioration of the gtandard of living of the working class was a neces- gary condition for the rationalization‘of large capi- \¢al; that the latter would involve a new danger of | Smperialist wars and that a fresh strengthening of | German imperialism would mean nothing more nor | keas than the advance of reaction in all fields. He | drew the conclusion that the distress and pauperiza- | @on of the working people in town and country can only be fFemoved by a determined fight with the ob- fect of overthrowing the capitalist order of society | and of establishing a worker and peasant govera- | ment. He called upon the workers’to join the free- | trade unions, which must be forged afresh into a weapon for the struggle of the proletariat. He is- wued the following slogans: Against the rational- ization of capital! For socialism! Reduction of frours of work--a fight for the eight-hour day and the 42-hour week! For the increase of wages! For adequate support of the unemployed and annuitants! Wor the re-establishment of the sécurities of the small savers! For a’ satisfactory distribution of jand to the small peasants! ‘ The serious work done by the congress was apecially intensified in the commissions, in which the workers displayed the most zealous activity, Dering the congress, commissions sat to discuss the questions of tenants, the peasantry, factory councils, the intelectual professions, small savings and the middle class, work among women war victims and { é ies anmuttants, communal policy, work among juveniles and other questions, Representatives of all social strata and political views took part in the discussion on Heckert’s pa- per. They agreed like one man with the chief speech and the expositions of the representatives of the factory councils and the unemployed. They described by drastic examples the social misery of the working masses, the distress of the unemployed, the embittered petty warfare in the factories, the laborious sufferings of the social and war pensioners and of those living on their small savings. The vow to create a united front of all workers ran like @ red thread through the whole discussion. It echoed with specially demonstrative force from the words of the social democratic speakers in the discussion. Schreck (Detmold), a trade union functionary whe hag been organized for more than 40 years in the ©. P. of Germany, was followed with great attention by the whole congress when he described how he had come’more and more to recognize that the lead- ers of the S. P. of Germany and of the A. D. G. B. were pursuing a policy which wag contrary to the interests of the working class. He protested vigor- ously against the threat of the trade union leaders to exclude delegates and called wpon those present to join in a revolutionary fight. A representative of the S. P. of Germany from Saxony used similary violent expressions against the leaders of his party. Under instructions from the christian workers a member of the Christian Socialist National party of Lutzenkirchen exhorted all workerg to join in a united front against capital. The political nesolutionswas passed with three dis- sentien votes. Its final slogans were: “For the dissolution of the reichstag! For the overthrow of the capitalist government! A fight for a worker and peasant government!” A resolution in favor of trade union unity and against the secessionists was passed unanimously, as was also a proclamation of solidarity with the English miners. The resolutions of the Conferenec of Unemployed were confirmed by the Congress of Working Peo- ple in a special resolution briefly summarizing the demands of the f#nemployed. A resolution with re- gard to the fight of the factory councils was passed. In a special resolution the congress pointed out that the struggle of the German workers for the 8-hour day and for the 42-hour week was the centre-point of all the endeavors of the working masses to or ganize resistance to the offensive of capitalist ration- alization. It is stated that should a refendum be taken in the question of hours of work, the con- gress would support this question. It further states: “The congress WOuld point out even today to all the organizations taking part in it, that not even a plebiscite would be able to solve the question of hours of work according to the wishes of the work ALEXIS RYKOFF, Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissare In the Soviet Unies, ing class. This can only be done through a direct fight of workers in the factories and trade unions.” Comrade Neubauer, member of parliament, report ed on the fight for the expropriation of the princes and explained in detail that this fight must be car ried on with all energy im spite of treachery of the social democratic leaders, Dr. Preuss then drew a picture of the activities of class justice in Germany, Immediately after this speech a delegation was ap pointed from among those present at the congress which, in the name of the congress, was to present to the Prussian diet, the “reichstag” and the mim istry of justice a demand for the release of all pro letartan political prisoners, Wiihelm Koenen, member of parliament, then re ported on “The Distressed Condition of the Working Middle Class.” He iaid before the comgress exten sive and heart-rending material with regard to the pauperization of wile cirokes of the middle class and brought evidence to the effect that capitalist rationalization is detrimenal not only to the prole tariat but to small articans, small tradesmen and small peasants. He wag followed by Schneider, a smal] peasant from, the Erzgebirge, who described the desperate condition of the small-peasant pope lation, Hlustrating it with many individual examples, Up to the present only a small section of the small peasants had recognized the necessity of fighting in common with the workers, but the small peasants who were present at the congress had realized how important it fs that the peasants should join the united front of the proletariat. On the third day of the congress, a number of delegates joined in the discussion. The expositions and suggestions given by them were very valuable. In the name of the social democratic delegates, Schreck (Detmold) then made a violent protest against the “Vorwarts.” In his statement he said: “We oppose the foul assertions of the ‘Vorwarts’; the congress ie a dire necessity for the working class of Germany. Our leaders, who always put the interests of the working population in the back- ground, are to blame for the fact that it had to take piace.” Two papers of great importance were read on the third day of the congress. Comrade Holvin, member of parliament, reported on taxation policy and on questions of restandardization and tenants. He expounded the wholesale taxation fraud of the bourgeoisie and the uncompensated expropriation of millions of persons with smaH savings, annut ants and tradesmen by the law passed by the Ger- man bourgeoisie for the reestablishment of cur rency. The chief part of his speech was concerned with the fight against exorbitant rents. He inform- ed the audience that the tenants’ organizations were preparing a plebiscite against exorbitant rents which the organizations affiliated to the cangreas would support by every meang in their power, Dr, Klauber reported on public health. The var- fous forms o* rationalization have caused the mor bidity statistics to rise enormously, occupational ac- cidents are increasing in a threatening manner, the sickness and social insurance societies are utterly inadequate. The distress among the war victims and victims of the capitalist system is indescribable. In the discussion, speeches were made with exten- sion of time by a representative of the freethinkers who spoke against spiritual enslavement and clerical reaction, and a representative of working class sportsmen, who pointed out the importance of pro moting sport among the workers. Schoenbeck reported on the organizatory forms of walding together the uuited front movement. The : z it i Hd