BolshevismBourgeoisieCapitalismCommunismCommunist PartyMarxismSocialismSovietStrikeViolenceWorkers PartyWorking Class

7 Saturday, January 11, 1919 THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE The New Stage Opens Continued from page. what side, so as to secure their own administration lems of the Revolution, will not increase their prescils. Ebert and Scheidemann assumed full responsi ard the effective service of subordinate organs? tige, is again an expression of their hesitant policy.
bility for the orders to fire upon the sailors, and in Haase, Dittman and Barth thereupon declared that they should never have become members of the Govsisted that the strongest and most uncompromising they would resign voluntarily, since they could not ernment, disgraced themselves by association with measures must be taken to prevent riots and further approve of the use of force, because bloodshed might Ebert, Scheidemann, Solf, and the other lackeys of lawbreaking by civilians as well as the military. Un 1:ave been avoided if Ebert, Scheidemann and Lands the old regime. They might have redeemed thenless the Government was given this power, Ebert berg had adopted other measures, and because they selves by withdrawing when the Congress of CounCo. threatened to resign. Scheidemann, Ebert and disapproved of entrusting to Gereral Lequis, a repre cils approved of Ebert and Scheidemann and deLandsberg made one of the conditions of their re sentative of the old regime, the power of life and clared for an early convocation of the Constituent Asmaining in the Government the organization of a death. The Council answers to the other questions, sembly: but they stayed, and that is their stigma. The popular army of reliable troops. They issued this moreover, were considered unsatisfactory by the In decisions of the Congress of Councils and the waverappeal through the Vorwaz ts: clependents. They declared there was no necessity of ing attitude of the majority Independents caused a Comrades, you will have to decide, because our answering the Council two questions, since they spolit witthin the party, Ledebour and other Independtitle of People Commissaires rests on your confi were resigning ents of the left openly accepting the Spartacus prodence. If you should absolve us, you must do someThe Ebert Government is drawing further away gram and working with Liebknecht. The withdrawal thing more. You must create power for us. There is from the revolutionary masses while Herr Scheide of Haase, Dittmann and Ebert from the Governno Government without power. We cannot act as rann fulminates against Liebknecht, declaring that ment will enormously strengthen Independents your executive without power. Without power we the arrest of Liebknecht and twenty others would dis the left, and thereby strengthen the Spartacans. In become the prey of anyone sufficiently unscrupulous pose of the rebels. but they dare not make arrests. demonstrations after December 23 24, large numbers to use his comrades and their arms for vainglorious The withdrawal of the Independents has strengthened of Independents marched with the Spartacans; Indepurposes and his own profit. Do you really desire a and weakened the Government strengthened it im pendents are now calling for All power to the German Social Democratic Republic? Do you desire mediately, in that it may now sruoothly work with the Soviets!
a Government by men who are your partisans? Do counter revolution and use dramatic measures; weakThe power of revolutionary Socialism is being augyou want us to make peace as soon as possible and seened it ultimately, in that the policy of repression and mented by great industrial strikes, among the miners cure food for the starving? If so, then help the Gov force will awaken the anger of the masses and new in Silesia and Westphalia, and by the pressing probtrnment create a people army that they may pro revolutionary action. Events are clearing the air. lems of reconstruction. Under the pressure of life tect its dignity and freedom of decision and action Once the revolutionary masses recognize the accom itself, local Councils are usurping government funcagainst base attacks and coups.
plished fact of the Ebert Government being an instru tions, establishing control over industry, adopting The Central Council favored Ebert and Scheide ment of Capitalism, with all that that implies, then measures that, precisely as in Russia, prepares the mann quite naturally. The Independent ministers the masses will act, swiftly, aggressively.
way for realizing all power to the Councils, to the presented eight questions to the Committee, formulated The withdrawal of the Independents, characteristi federated Soviets. What forms the struggle may by Dittmann, the answer to which was to decide their cally on minor issues and not on the fundamental proh adopt until the meeting of the Constituent Assembly, further action. First Does the Central Council approve the acWhat is a Strike?
is uncertain; the struggle against the Constituent Assembly continues; but should the Assembly meet and tion of Ebert, Scheidemann and Landsberg, who, on (Continued from page 8)
decrease a democratic republic, it would automatithe night of December 23 24, gave unlimited power to Electric has four or more plants in various cities. If cally decree the abolition of the Councils, and should the War Minister to use military force against the one plant is struck the management can simply trans this, as is likely, provoke a new revolutionary strugsailors in the Castle and royal stables?
fer its orders to another. So the workers learned gle, the Councils would emerge victorious and estab Second Does the Central Council approve the that to be successful they must strike not only the lish the dictatorship of the proletariat. The measures ultimatum of ten minutes fixed for the surrender of whole plant, but all the plants of the company. When teing adopted by local Councils can never fit in with the Castle stables by General Lequis.
the Lynn workers were making demands, the Schenec regime established by the Constituent Assembly. The Third Will the Council see to the immediate ex tady workers came forward and threatened to strike Communist Labor Party builds upon the basis of the ecutions of the resolution passed by the Congress of to support them. When the Schenectady workers had Councils; and Scheidemann was right: as long as the Soldiers and Workmen Councils, abolishing all dis demands they were supported by Pittsfield. As Councils exist, they must drift toward Bolshevista, tinctions of military rank and prohibiting officers in write, a general strike in all the plants seems likely develop into a proletarian dictatorship.
home garrisons from wearing arms. The workers throughout America must learn to or Fourth Does the Council approve the intimation ganize so as to be able to strike not one by one, each The call to revolutionary action is clear, insistent, at Hindenburg headquarters in a confidential mes for the good of himself, but all at once for the good of aggressive, and clearer, more insistent, more aggressive is developing the response. It must come, it will sage to the Eastern Headquarters that this resolution everybody.
would not be recognizeed?
Does this mean that the workers must abandon opac tlie Revolution. The general European, the Fifth Does the Council approve the removal of their craft unions and form a new general organiza proletarian revolution in Germany; but equally, the world revolution depends upon the completion of the the Government from Berlin to Weimar or any other tion. Some will tell you so. do not think so. place in Central Germany?
think there will always be a need for organization poroletarian revolution in Germany depends upon the general revolution. Sixth Does the Council approve the program along craft lines. But what is immediately necessary that instead of total demobilization, only a reduction of is that the craft unions act together. Let the local Each to his task! The proletariat in its own way the standing army is planned?
officers the unions in each plant work as one cenand in accord with its own conditions, must further Seventh Is the Council of the same view with tral committee. Let them agree to act only when all the general revolutionary struggle. But one tactic us that the Socialist Republic must not rest on the act together. Then let them send delegates to a genis cominon to all: the relentless struggle against petty spport of generals and the rest nf the standing army, eral national committee representing all the plants in bourgeois Socialism as an indispensable phase of the but on Citizens Guards to be formed on democratic that industry. And let these delegates agree to act struggle against Capitalisin and Imperialism. The principles?
only when all act together.
theory and practice of the Bolsheviki Marrism in Eight Does the Council approve that the social When your delegates do this, then your employers action alone constitute the theory and practice of izing of industries as far as practicable should begin will rage and call you Bolsheviks. And by this you Sccialism and the revolutionary proletariat.
at once?
will know that you have the kind of industrial weaThese are surely moderate demands, characteristic pon that they fear and that you need.
of a centre policy, and actually in accord with the When all the workers in the plant strike to rether.
avowed policy in words of the bourgeois Social then, and only then, will the workers in the industry ist Government. The Central Council decisively ap get their demands.
proved the action of Ebert and Scheidemann in using To take this type of industrial action you need not Red Week Conference orce against the sailors, and answered the first ques change the form of your organizations. You need ion affirmatively. The second and fourth they an only adopt a different way of using them. What is meets every Friday evening at P. Room wered negatively, and dodged the others on the plea needed for successful action by the workers in the 1, Dudley Street Opera House, 113 Dudley hat further reports were required. The Central next few years is two things: treet, Roxbury. Mass. All organizaCouncil then asked the Commissaires two questions of (a) clear understanding by all the workers tions of Boston and vicinity are invited to that a strike is only a strike when all strike join the Conference by sending two delegates First Are the People Commissaires prepared to for the good of all; and to the earliest meeting.
Totect public order and security and especially pri. b) detennination to make their elected of ROBERT ZELMS, ate and public property against violent aggression? ficials and delegates carry out the orrlers of Secretary of the Conference. Second Are the People Commissaires in a posithe membership ion to defend with what forces they command the The form of organization will then take care of ublic offices against any violence, no matter from itself. The Revolutionary Age ts own: