Politics in Berlin

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24814, 2 March 1946, Page 6

Politics in Berlin

An ugly political battle is being fought in Berlin. The “ Manchester " Guardian's ’* account of the struggle between Social Democrats and Communists, reported in the cable news on Thursday, is, unhappily, not the first of its kind. For instance, the “ Sydney Morning Herald ” a few days earlier printed a dispatch in which its Berlin correspondent spoke of the issue between the two major working-class parties—that of immediate fusion or fusion when they become “ free and independent “ of every foreign Power "—as one being fought out “ in an atmosphere ‘ of what can only be described as “ ‘ cloak and dagger politics ” ; and earlier in the month his colleague of “ The Times ” had written of the pressure under which the Social Democratic Party then existed in Berlin. The Social Democrats, added ‘ The Times ” correspondent, had “ not merely to reckon with shock “ tactics, at which the Berlin Com- “ munists are as adept as Com- “ munists anywhere else they had also to “ remember always that all “ the four parties with headquarters “in Berlin are primarily Russian- “ zone parties, dependent for their “ existence on Russian good will, and

“ that behind the Communists are ** the Russians The pressure today is apparently such that a merger, if not as the Communists seek it, is regarded as virtually certain. The Communists want fusion by May 1, on a basis of parity, without the formality of any vote within the parties, and before there have been any elections which could reveal the relative party strengths. They are thought likely to be disappointed in one particular—the Social Democrats will put the question to vote at a general conference which has been called for April 19. Moreover. though by present indications the proposal will be adopted, work-ing-class unity will not have been achieved. For the delegates from the British. American, and French zones at present propose not to vote, and the union of the parties would thus be a union in the Russian zone alone.

Such an outcome would offer a bleak and deplorable prospect. It would intensify the disunity existing between the east and the other three zones. Nor would such a fusion, demonstrably imposed from above, foster the growth in Germany qf genuine democracy. It can only

be hoped that the tension caused in Beylin by the Communists' demand is really producing, as the “ Man- “ Chester Guardian’s ” correspondent suggests, “an international crisis ”. From such a crisis a tolerable solution might emerge.