The Daily Worker Newspaper, October 1, 1927, Page 10

- THE SITUATION IN AUSTRIA — The Capitulation of Austro-Marxism. The Hounding Down of Communists. HE workers of the world experienced the heroic July struggle of the workers in Vienna in their own fetlings. With indignation they saw how the fighting workers were betrayed by the social demo- cratic leaders, Marxism capitulated on the streets. They saw how miserably Austro- The defeat of the Austrian working class was caused. by this abandonment of the struggle, by this capitulation of Austro-Marxism. It was 2 serious and definite defeat. The capitulation in the struggle was, however, not the end of the capitulation. The leaders of the Austrian social democracy are still on bended knees just where they fell in the days of the fighting. The capitulation still continues and is taking on ever greater forms. From the fresh graves of the revolutionary work- ers the leading lights of Austro-Marxism went to their idolized parliament after having slandered the victims of the fighting. As is known, the only slo- gan of the social democratic leaders in their appeal on the 16th July was “All those responsible, from the government down to the lowest police officer, will be called to account in parliament!” As is known, the transport strike was called off on the 19th of July with the excuse that parliament must be given the possibility of expressing its opinion on the events and for this the purpose the members of parliament must be afforded means of transport to come to parliament (!). The National Council, as the parliament of Aus- tria is called, met. Seipel triumphed and forced the social democratic members of parliament to the de- fensive by an exhibition of the most cynical super- ciliousness. The National Council expressed its con- fidence in the government and rejected the social democratic proposal for the setting up of a com- mission of inquiry. That was the “vengeance” which the social democrats obtained for the workers in parliament. The social democratic leaders? What should these poor wretches have done about the matter anyhow? They need another 7 per cent of the votes before they have a parliamentary majority; until they get this 7 per cent they are a defense- less minority of course! Oh, but they dealt with the government thorough- ly! Renner in particular, tore the laurel wreath from the brow of Seipel, the laurels which he had received as the saviour of the fatherland. The gov- ernment, he said, need not boast, for in the decisive days it was “more than helpless” and it was the “clever and sober policy” of the trade union leaders which contributed not a little to saving society! ! ! The social democratic leaders claimed that they saved society, and their claim is justified! Even a section of the bourgeoisie recognizes this and is doubtful about the advisability of continuing the insolent and open attack upon the proletariat for too long. The representative of this wing of the bourgeoisie, the prelate Drexel, has issued what is practically an invitation to the social democrats to enter a coalition government, and Renner has acknowledged receipt of the invitation with pleas- ure. If there is no coalition in the immediate fu- ture, then the triumphant Seipel will alone be re- sponsible for it. Seipel does not need the coalition government. He sees no reason why he should give the social democrats ministerial seats in the cabinet when he can get everything he wants from them anyhow. And he gets all he wants from them! The social democratic “Opposition” has broken down completely even in parliament. For. nine months the social democrats have ob- structed the intended customs robbery in the cus- toms ¢ommission. But on the 29th of July the “General Debate,” ie, the obstruction was con- cluded! The whole bourgeois press is jubilant: “The National Council” is working again. The catas- trophic events in Vienna have had at least one good result! For years the social democrats have obstructed the clerical school laws (remember the famous “Vienna school reform!”), but on the 2nd of August these laws were passed in the National Couneil. Seipel has supplied himself at the point of the bayonet with useful “arguments” against the ob- struction! Seipel, the great business man, managed to form his new government after his electoral defeat on the 24th of April. (He has made this defeat good sinee by volleys into the workers) only after diffi- cult maneuvers with minsterial posts for which his partners in the coalition eventually sold themselves. And because there was one more candidate for a ministerial post than there were minsterial posts, Seipel simply created a new one by restoring the By W. SCHLAMM (Vienna) —“‘Notenkraker,” Amsterdam. AFTER THE VIENNA RIOTS. The reaetion returns thanks for victory. portfolio of the minster of justice which had long ago been abolished. Up to the 15th of July the Austro-Marxists howled that they would resist this miserable business; but on the 2nd of August the National Council decided to ratify the formation of the new ministerial post! The international working class is informed re- garding the shameful campaign of persecution and even the dissolution of district committees are being carried out! Very few days have passed without a confiscation of the “Rote Fahne” (official organ of the Austrian C. P.—Ed.). This systematic destruc- tion of the working class press is now to be em- bodied in laws. The government has introduced a “Press Law Reform Bill” about which we will speak in detail later. And the democratic leaders? They have openly expressed their fundamental approval of the bill! On the 23rd of July the social democratic party conference decided that a full amnesty should be demanded in parliament for all those arrested in connection with the July events. The bourgeois par- ties in parliament refused even to discuss the mat- ter. What does the brave democratic 43 per cent majority do? It postpomes the debate until the late Autumn as in the meanwhile the over-worked Na- tional Council is paeking up for its holidays. And up to the time of the debate over a hundred prole- tarians will sit in prison and the vindictive class- justice is commencing its “work.” Capitulation, miserable, pitiable capitulation of Austro-Marxism in parliament! But not only in parliament! In the Vienna Municipal Council, Seitz the social democratic mayor, has a two-thirds ma- jority, and the secial democrats wished to play this ‘trump. On the 17th of July it formed a “municipal guard.” This municipal.guard was, of course, from the first moment of its existence nothing but an auxiliary body for the police of Schober- (Schober, the police president of Vienna, responsible for the shootings.—Ed.); and in all their declarations, from the very beginning, the social democratic leaders as- sured the public that their guard (it consisted of about 1,500 picked social democratic officials) would “cooperate” with the Schober police and that it was intended to restore “law and order” against undis- ciplined elements, that it had been formed against the Communists. (On the 31st of July this latter statement was made expressly in the “Arbeiter Zeitung.” The official organ of the Austrian Social Democratic Party in Vienna.—Ed.). Nevertheless, an attempt was made to make out to the workers that this guard had veen formed as a partial arm- ing of the proletari" 2% @ protection against the Schober police. But Seipel felt himself strong enough to prevent the social democrats from achieving any sort of prestige success, and he therefore demanded the dissolution of this municipal guard. The Municipal parried the first demand and reduced the guard to 1,000 men; secondly, it declared that the guard was only formed for the purpose of doing night service to protect the buildings and the land of the munici- pality. And finally Seitz declared on the 29th of July that if the constitutional court should declare the formation of the municipal guards to be illegal, then the guard ‘would be completely dissolved! In- shi HE mes we stead of communalizing the whole police force in Vienna—they have not only the power but the con- stitutional right to do this—the “red” leaders of Vienna have even surrendered on the question of the night-watchmen whose pistols are in any case loaded against the Communists! Capitulation in parliament, capitulation in the Vienna Municipal Council and continued capitulation in the streets: for seven months a peaceful demon- stration of social democratic: marshals was being prepared for the 7th of August in Graz, and in connection with this a joint demonstration with the “Reichs-banner.” 20,000 members of the social democratie defense force had made all preparations. Fares had been paid, etc. Then a fascist leader in Styria uttered a threat to disturb the demonstra- tion. The provincial government (there are social democrats in the government!) therefore prohibited the demonstration and the social democratic party called it off! The streets belong to the fascists! These are a few characteristics of the present situation in Austria after the July fighting, one or two snapshots of the capitulation of Austro-Marx- ism. All this has caused severe troubles within the social democratic party of Austria. There is almost no conference, no membership meeting but what there are violent scenes. In particular in the meet- ings of the shamefully misused Republican Defense Force the speakers can hardly obtain’a hearing. Perhaps the organizational machinery will succeed in holding the party together; but a continuation of the crisis is mevitable and the joints of the orice so proud, so self-confident Party have been severely strained. The social democratic workers are shaking the prison walls of the reformist party. The Communisi Farty of Austria is carrying on its struggle despite all the persecution and the hatred whi: hes been let loose against it. It will continue iis struggle with unshaken courage and the grezt+-t possible activity. Apart from the agi- tation fo. ‘ts normal political aims it has taken as the .timx peint of its activity in the immediate futu.. the campaign for the release of more. than 100 workers and a recruiting campaign for the Porty and the Party press. Excellent results have already been obtained: the circulation of the “Rote Fahne” is growing steadily and the Party is winning new members everywhere by its active agitational work. The Party has the, sympathy of, the workers to an extent unknown /since the days of the revolvtion. The working masses are now beginning to under- stand the past and present policy of the Communist Party, they have gained confidence in the Party. It will depend on the organizational strength of the Party, on the permanency of its work in the fac: tories and in the mass organizations to, what extent the Party can organize the sympathy which is being shewn towards it and create a Communist mass party in Austria. et | Austro-Marxism is as yet only ideologically de- feated, it is not yet organizationally defeated. The organizing power of Austrian reformism, even after the July events, will remain both Telatively and absolutely extremely strong; that is the situation in Austria which has its roots in the structure and in the past of the Austrian working class move- ment. But the Austrian proletariat has had a tre- mendous and bloody experience, and this has laid the basis of revolutionary clarity. The capitulation of Austro-Marxism, its impossible treachery has introduced a new period for the Austrian working class movement, a period in which the relation of forces inside the working class will change un- ceasingly to the advantage of the left!