The Daily Worker Newspaper, August 6, 1927, Page 12

gg HE Austrian proletariat has had a terrible awaken- ing from its peaceful dream, “Red” Vienna is only a blood-red Vienna. After two days of fearful slaughter, the Vienna workingclass —abominably abandoned and betrayed by the leaders of the so- cial-democratic party — has been crushed by the blindly raging forces of “law and order.” The immediate cause of the bloody events was a gigantic and spontaneous demonstration of the work- ingclass of Vienna against the acquittal of two fas- cists who, on the 30th of January last, murdered a worker and a workingclass child. The Austrian bourgeoisie, which, with the help of th League of Nations, had managed to extricate it- self from a state of economic collapse, has for some years past been organizing fascism in order to be able to complete the economic and political subjuga- tion’ of the Austrian proletariat. In face of a work- ingelass pos$essing the possibilities, the power and the organizations which the workingclass of Austria possesses, the process of restoring bourgeois econ- omy can only be accomplished after the political subjugation of the proletariat. The second Seipel government is the conscious expression of the policy of the Austrian bourgeoisie. The Austrian social democracy, this show-piece of the II International, could, with its reformist policy, appear before the masses with sham suc- cesses only so long as the bourgeoisie was com- pelled to pursue a policy of weakness and conces- sions. With the strengthening of the bourgeoisie and fascism, the flourishing period of the Austro- Marxist conjuring was past. In the course of two years, one worker after another has been vilely slaughtered by fascist provocateurs. The growing indignation of the masses and their desire to take adequate measures of self-defense, were continually damped down with reassuring statements and prom- ises by the social democratic leaders. This time, however, the indignation broke out in an elemental form and with wonderful and tremen- dous force. In fact the Vienna workingclass has risen in a powerful revolt and has proved that it is to be counted among the best and most courageous battalions of the world revolution. But at the same time it has proved, at the cost of 1500 wounded, 150 killed and a severe defeat of the proletariat, the baseness and the treachery of the Austrian so- cial democracy. On Thursday, July 14th, late in the evening, the acquittal of the fascist murderers was made known. The Communist Party summoned the workers to pro- test and to a mass demonstration to be held on Fri- day evening. But early on Friday morning the workers in num- erous factories ceased work and preceeded to march to the centre of the city. The portce proceeded sys- tematically and attempted to break up’ the first groups of workers who had arrived, but the tre- mendous masses of workers which were arriving at every moment soon made this attempt impossible. The police still continued their provocation and at ten o’clock the first shots were fired. In the mean- time the masses had completely filled the great Ringstrasse, and although they were quite unarmed, defended themselves against the police and dis- armed many of the latter. One police station from which shots had been fired was cleared out and demolished. In the mean- time, huge crowds had assembled before the Courts of Justice, where they were suddenly fired upon from the interior of the building. The demonstra- tors commenced a fierce attack on the premises, which they finally captured and set on fire. Bright flames are soon shooting up from the hated build- ing. The working people of Vienna has stormed the Bastille of Austrian class justice! The fire- brigade is prevented by the masses from extinguish- ing the flames.. There now appears upon the scene the political fire-brigade: Herr Seitz, the social democratic mayor of Vienna, and Julius Deutsch, two shining lights among the social democratic leaders, attempting to extinguish the flames. They are received with a storm of indignation and are obliged to retreat for the time being. In the meantime the police have suddenly disappeared. But this is only a stratagem! After a short time the police are to be seen ad- vancing simultaneously from various directions in closed ranks armed with carbines and military rifles. They now commence firing volley after volley into the crowd. But the workers do not draw back. The workers continue the fight with passionate en- thusiasm, while an unending line of automobiles re- moves the innumerable dead and wounded. It is some hours before the murderous fire disperses the com- pact masses. Early in the afternoon troops of the republican army with machine guns, march against the workers. (According to the law such a measure requires the express sanction of the mayor, in this case the social democrat Herr Seitz). In the after- noon the armed forces gain control of the inner city. Now they cannot and will not withdraw. Puni- tive expeditions now proceed against the working- class districts. During the evening and till late in the night they drive furiously through the work- ingclass quarters, shooting wildly in every direc- tion. This night takes toll of dozens of dead. And now it is early Saturday morning. No news- papers have appeared. Only a news-sheet of ‘the social democratic party and the “Rote Fahne”! (or- gan of the Communist Party). It has not allowed itself to be suppressed either by the police or the measures of force of the socialist party leaders. The socialist party executive calls upon the workers to obey in every way the decrees of the police, to stay at home and not allow themselves to be provoked by “Communist hooligans.” Not a single demand, not a single fighting slogan! Only the spontaneous general strike is recognized; but only for 24 hours. And the ridiculous farce of a railway and postal strike is proclaimed to be the decisive fighting means of the workingclass. The Communist Party calls for the arming of the workers, for an indefinite general strike, and sum- mons the workers to come into the streets. Its slo- gans are: Down with the government! Fight for the work- ers’ and peasants’ government! Disarming of all fascist organizations! Setting up of armed self-de- fense organization in place of the Schutzbund, which has proved an absolute failure! Release of the pro- letarian Reichswehr from the barracks and fra- ternization with them! The Communist slogans are received with unexampled enthusiasm. But the C. P. is too weak in order to give an organizatory leader- ship. The masses are without leaders. Saturday night. The police are firing in the work- ingelass district of Hernals; the workers build bar- ricades and hold them. But they have no weapons! Early Sunday morning. The socialist party lead- ers, who on the previous day had distributed among the masses a leaflet fiercely attacking the Com- munists—not a word against the government!— succeed in getting the tramway men to return to work. In the night of Saturday and Sunday the Communist Party issues an illegal leaflet to the masses, calling on them to hold out and to carry on the fight for the well-known demands. General feel- ing is in favor of the Communists, but it is unor- ganized. © mae The Upheaval in Vienna &&§ Sunday afternoon, Conference of the earefuily selected social democratic functionaries, in which a new act of treachery is sanctioned. The social demo- eratic municipal administration, in order to cut the ground from under the Communists who are de- manding the arming of the workingclass, has set up a legal municipal constabulary. It consists of a thousand functionaries whose fidelity to the S. P. is beyond all question. It is armed with pistols and is to work together with the government police. Its task is “restore law and order in our sense.” The conference of functionaries reflects only to the slightest extent the mood of the masses. A dis- appearing minority demands weapons and opposes the new municipal police. The S. P. leadership has the apparatus sufficiently firmly in hand again to be able to bring about the resumption of work in the factories early on Monday morning. The C. P. calls upon the workers to continue the strike, and issues. the slogan: general strike on Wednesday. 20th of July, the day of the funeral of the fallen. The socialist party leaders want to bury the dead without participation of the workingclass. The Seipel government has seized the first oppor- tunity in order to crush the workingclass by making use of the S. P. leaders and to break the strength of the proletarian organizations. In doing so the government has deliberately opposed a section of the bourgecisie which is in favor of a policy of coalition with the socialist party. Seipel does not want any coalition and he prevents it by means of mass murder. The socialist party leaders want a coalition, and therefore left the workingclass with- out weapons and without leaders, as they wish to prove themselves to be “fit to govern.” The Communist Party placed itself at the head of the struggle, and is now persecuted with bound- less hate by the government and the S. P. leaders. At the same time a campaign of incitement, inspired by England, is proceeding against Russia. The Vienna insurrection is crushed for the time being, but the C. P. is seeking to approach the masses and is beginning to organize them for successful counter- attack, It needs the help and support of the revolu- tionary proletariat of the whole world. 5 =s Naan nimmeortie Sy so —Drawing by Wm. Siegel.