- Yg. 1928, No. 43 -

The referendum initiated by the Communist Party, which wanted to ban the construction of warships, has failed. Only about two million votes have been cast, half the number that would have been necessary to bring the proposed law before the Reichstag and a possible later referendum.

Social Democracy, which has seen in the referendum of the KPD only a party-political maneuver directed against it, triumphs. Maybe a bit too much and a little too early.

It is true: it has now been seen that such an action would not be successful without the SPD. The influence of the KPD in Germany is far less than the number of voters on May 20 suggested. It has no press, no money, no leaders. And she has almost no soil in the country. For the great majority of our honest national comrades, a “communist” is evidently something terrible.

In a secret election out of sheer bitterness you cross the red party, like children paint the devil on the wall (and then they are happy when he does not come). But put his name on a list that the KPD feels like - God forbid! Yes, if the SPD had taken part, which today has become quite socially and government capable!

The SPD did not participate, although, as it expressly assures, it is also against the construction of armored cruisers. And their “opposition” members, the left wing, the Saxons, kept discipline and, during the critical time, did not agitate against the armored cruiser, but against the KPD, which is also against armored cruisers. An attitude that may have aroused proud satisfaction in the SPD party leadership: we have our people firmly in hand; with neutral viewers also satisfaction or sadness, depending on the case: about the incurable division of the working class, which will never win over the class enemy as long as it wages the fratricidal war in its own ranks with unprecedented doggedness and deadly hatred.

The SPD, the stronger brother, is happy about the victory that the failure of the popular initiative means for him. But if the party continues on the path that its leaders took on August 10 (the successor to August 4, 1914), when the tacticians of Severing and Hörsing's caliber get the undisputed upper hand in it, when with their help after a " positive defense program ”, then one day it will become clear that a victory can also be a Pyrrhic victory and that after a climax there can be a sudden fall. "Comrade" Severing and "Comrade" Hörsing want to march side by side with Hindenburg, Groener and Heye. It is hardly conceivable, even with the highest degree of party piety, “discipline”, patience for sheep or whatever we like to call it, depending on our temperament, that the social-democratic working masses (in which, ironically, today the memory of the time 50 years ago jubilee refreshed) will go with them in the long run.

We opponents of the war, who, without participating in or interested in the dispute between the SPD and the KPD, co-signed the referendum (and sign it again tomorrow), because its content corresponded to our will, will not, for the time being, cope with the old trust can look over to the SPD as before. We are following their policy, which is no longer as clear today as it was fifty years ago, with a tension of doubt and concern.

1928, 43 Erich Schairer