Viewing page 46 of 201

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

[[start left-hand column]]
names, party representatives for the MGO's advisory council, and the name of each party sponsor. In the latter function, Mr. Karl Bohm, a merchant, was chosen as Sponsor for the Christian Democrats, Mr. Hans Hartmann, proprietor of an inn in Wiesbaden, was named for the Communist Party, and Mr. Johannes Maass headed the Social Democrats.

POLITICAL ACTIVITY AUTHORIZED

Informal authorizations for provisional political activity were drawn up by Lieutenant Tobland and presented to the various party sponsors in a ceremony in the MGOs office on September 28th. This act signalized the official stamp of approval on the beginnings of organized political life in Stadtkreis Wiesbaden. Present at this ceremony were members and sponsors of all political parties, as well as Prälat Wolf of the Catholic Church; Bishop Korthauer, of the Protestant Church, was ill and unable to attend. The authorizations were signed by Sponsors and witnessed in the presence of all parties, and a record made of the meeting. Later discussion disclosed that all concerned were much impressed with the manner in which the ceremony was conducted.

It is interesting and important to note that the Christian Democrat Party, comprising high-level professional men, clergy, and other more or less typical Rightist representations, appeals in its Statutes to Educational, Religious, Professional, and Labor elements to combine efforts in regaining the economic democracy of the nation, and the lost respect of the world, -- the appeal was made to all possible elements of society. In one paragraph of the Christian Democratic statutes submitted there is a sentence which reads . . "we ask a just policy concerning wages and salaries for all workers and employees."
[[end column]]

[[start right-hand column]]
Earlier, there is evinced some fear of industrial combines in the sentence. "It is indispensible that for all times we protect the governmental power against illegitimate influences of economic agglomerations of power." Frank discussions with Dr. Amann and other responsible members of the Christian Democrats reveal that while they are confident that the amalgamation of loose elements into their one unified party will do much to alleviate potential crises of one sort or another in the coming winter, nevertheless the aims, intents, and purposes of the Communist Party are not completely clarified.

A discussion with Mr. Hartmann disclosed that Communist and Social Democratic sympathies were closely allied; while at the discussion with Mr. Heinrich Nölle of the Christian Democrats. Mr. Nölle asked that his party be permitted four rather than two members on the MGOs Advisory Council, obviously in anticipation of the Communists and Social Democrats forming a majority.

THE COMMUNIST PLATFORM

The program of the Communist Party announces that ". . we are aware of the fact that it would be a mistake to force the Soviet system on Germany, because this method would not correspond to present conditions of development . ." In brief, the Communists ask for the "creation of an anti-fascist, democratic republic, with all democratic rights and liberties for the people." More specifically, they demand that the estates of landed gentry, Junkers, princes, etc., be subdivided and given to deserving peasants. The bulk of their policy, like the others, is devoted to vigorous pledges of faith in denazification, de-militarization, and the "creation of a solid unit of Democracy," culminating in -- and this is a surprising
[[end column and page]]
15