THE COMMUNIST 12 workers had returned to work; but large masses were still on strike, the Betriebs Rate Assembly itself representing 500, 000 workers. The Assembly, dominated by the Independents, decided to interrupt the General Strike, the Communists urging continuing the Strike, but the Independents carried the day. The interruption of a General Strike as a revolutionary tactic depends upon circumstances; unless it is adopted at a moment when the Strike is at the crest of its power, but conditions make it impossible to conquer, hence it becomes necessary to secure a period for new preparations, interrupting. a strike is simply a cover for defeat. Under the prevailing condition, this maneuvre was characteristic of the Independents.
The Communist Party opposed this interruption of the General Strike, and rightly. Even now, considering the general situation and particularly the intense revolutionary struggle in the Ruhr, continuation of the Strike two or three days more would have disorganized Capitalism and the state, might have developed a new struggle, and encouraged the Ruhr proletariat.
But the General Strike was interrupted: And from the Ruhr proletariat, waging a magnificent struggle and menaced on all frexts.
came the searing cry of Treason!
hurled at the representatives proletariat of Berlin. To be continued)
But that compromise was in the pudiated by the Government in two objective facts of the situation, not days. and two hours after this conin any formal agreement. Against the ference Legien and other reactionary Government? But that meant a reunion officials issued. an order to volutionary struggle for power.
end the General Strike (the conferNeither the Communist Party nor ence ended at o clock Saturday the Left Independents, however, were morning, and at 7:05 the proclamaprepared to engage in this struggle: tion calling off the Strike was the Left Independents because of issued. The same day the IndependParty (Speaking their affiliation with the Independent Socialist ent Socialist Party; the Communist Party through Crispien in Freiheit. also because it affirmed that the prourged ending the General Strike.
letariat was not ready for the seizure The situation on Saturday. may be of power. There was issued neither a summarized: definite call to revolutionary action nor a definite revolutionary program. The trades union bureaucracy, Moreover, the disastrous character moderate, treacherous, and itself as of the situation was emphasized by much in fear of a revolution as the both the Left Independents and the Government, broke the Central Strike.
Communist Party acquiescing in the This bureaucracy, petty bourgeois to for yearned Independent Socialist Party proposal tranthe marrow, for a Socialist Government. The quility. The conditions of the unions Left Independents accepted the prowere moderate, vague and general, capable of easy interpretation and posal enthusiastically, prepared to repudiation: immediate disarmament participate in such a Government; the Communist Party, through its and punishment of participants in the Reichs Zentrale, declared it would military coup; clearing the Government of reactionaries; new laws for wage only loyal opposition to such equality of workers and officials. a Government. a declaration which immediate socialization of industries perfectly satisfied the Independents ripe for socialization (now urged by and which they interpreted as apthe moderates for more than a year. proval. This was the final and worst drastic action against profiteers, if mistake of a series of mistakes: it necessary by expropriation. Two in completely smashed any prospects of teresting conditions were: 1) Rep revolutionary action developing out resentatives of the Government parof the General Strike.
ties will defend the right of the workBetrayed by the and the ers organization to articipato in trades union bureaucracy, missing the the reconstruction of the Govern urge of revolutionary direction and ment, the unions to have a decisive inspiration, the General Strike was influence. 2) Dissolution of all reon the verge of breaking. The nonactionary military formations which proletarian elements in the working have acted against the constitution, class immediately acquiesced in the and their replacement by reliable order to end the strike; but large Republicans, especially from workmasses of the proletariat rejected the ers, employees and officials without order. On Saturday and Sunday, neglecting any profession. Magniwhile the representatives of the ficent evasions of the problem of masses hesitated and compromised, power! As if even these moderate conditions could be secured by comthe masses were again in a mood for action. The call for Soviets might promise agreements and paper concessions, and not by means of conhave met response; but while the Communist Party issued this call, the quest of power!
Left Independents issued the call The Independent Socialist Party for elections of revolutionary Beacquiesced in ending tie General triebs Rate (Factory Councils, ecoStrike while calling upon the Govern nomic Soviets. and the acment to arm the proletariat as if quiesced in the call. The Communist the overnment would cut its own Party, as represented in its Reichthroat. It issued other demands which Zentrale, met the retribution of its were either miserable compromises or incapacity: it might now issue the else incapable of accomplishment without the conquest of power. But, necessary revolutionary slogans, but these would not meet response. since most characteristic and miserable of the Communist Party had developed all, the Independent Socialist Party neither the moral energy nor the reissued the call for a Socialist Gov volutionary enthusiasm of the massernment the exclusion of the bourgeois parties from the Cabinet, which was now to consist of Social Democrats, Independents and reprecompromises with the Independents.
sentatives of the trades unions. This tiate now an immediate and successwas the final compromise of com ful struggle for seizure of power; promises. coalition with the assassins of the proletariat and the Revbut the Communist Party owed it to itself and the Revolution to come olution as a means of expressing the Revolution and the proletariat.
clean of compromise, to formulate measures and action calculated to The Left Wing Independents develop moral reserves for action in and the Communist Party repudiated the days to come.
the call to end the General Strike.
Continue the General Strike. for On Monday the representatives of what?
the revolutionary Betriebs Rate elecAgainst the Government compromise ted the previous day met in the Genwith Luttwitz Kapp? eral Assembly. Large numbers of Have you helped the party DEFENSE are Over one hundred comrades indicted. More than three were now vitiated by the Zentrale thousand comrades Undoubtedly it was too late stocént held for deportation.
Buy Defense Stamps.