GERMAN COMMUNISTS.

Evening Star, Issue 25776, 26 April 1946, Page 6

GERMAN COMMUNISTS.

The movement for a fusion of the Communist and Social Democratic parties in Germany is one to be watched carefully by the Allies. The Russians, so far as their influence extends, may bo supposed to have favoured and encouraged it, in the hope that Communism may absorb Social Democracy and the two countries, Russia and Germany, may be brought into closer communion. But the danger of this new development has been pointed out by Dr Schumacher, the leader of the Social Democratic Party in Western Germany. Amalgamation, he lias said, " would not stop at two, parties, but sooner or later would encroach on all the others now permitted in Germany, until only one" was left, giving, in Kremlin jargon, a ' centralistic democracy.' " More correctly such a development would be called totalitarianism, and totalitarianism, which is non-aggressive in Russia, would be likely to assume a very different complexion in Germany, still brooding upon defeat and with hardly the beginning of recognition of crimes that produced her miseries. _ Either Communism, or a reversion to totalitarianism iu; any form whatever, made supreme in Germany would be' a' new danger to the world. The form taken by the movement for fusion has not been altogether clear. Early in March it was reported that a merger of the Social Democratic and Communist parties in Germany, "one of the favourite projects of the Russian occupation authorities," had been rejected by an overwhelming Socialist vote at a meeting in the Berlin State Opera House. The merger had been effected, however, in the Sovietoccupied zones of Saxony and Mecklenburg, and there appeared little doubt that the same thing was going to happen in the remainder of Reich territory under Russian supervision. The Social Democrats alleged that the regional amalgamation had been brought about under pressure, and declared that, while they were unable to influence events in the Soviet zone, they would not permit formation of the sorailed Socialist Unity party in the Western zones. The Social Democrats themselves had made proposals for a union earlier which were rejected by the Communists. Since then their party had far outgrown the more extreme one, and to agree upon a merger now with equal sharing of the party leadership would give the Communists influence beyond their numerical strength. 'At- a conference held in "Frankfort, delegates from three States In the American zone voted against union by 144 votes to six. At the same time many Germans were complaining of change's made in the leadership of other political parties, allegedly as the result of pressure. It was announced that at a joint conference to he held this week Social Democrats and Communists would vote upon the question of forming a united front. .In the meantime, Berlin Social Democrats held a conference at which_ 85 per cent, voted against an immediate fusion with the Communists, and 00 per cent, in favour of an alliance to ensure joint work and prevent fraternal strife. The (Russians then stopped the voting in their sector. Tho results were considered a blow to the party's Central Committee, whose headquarters, significantly, it would seem, were in the Russian zone. The conclusion might be that the Russians had won over the committee to work for fusiou, but that the committee could not sufficiently influence the rank and file. Now a joint party conference held in the Berlin State Opera House has. endorsed the immediate fusion. Britain, and presumably France and America, have still to deckle whether they will recognise the new party _ in their zones. And it is distinctly of importance, where the control of Germany is concerned, that the'Western Allies and (Russia should agree together. A headache 6eems in prospect for tho Western Allies.