Back-Seat Driving

In Russian-occupied Germany the pattern of rule continued to emerge. So did the members of Russia's former Free Germany Committee. A fortnight ago the Communist and Social Democratic Parties reconstituted themselves and agreed to a joint program (TIME, July 9). Last week 17 industrial and commercial trade unions were organized under a joint Communist and Social Democratic trade-union committee. Its leaders, both fresh from concentration camps, were Communist exReichstag deputy Roman Chwalek and Social Democratic trade-union leader Otto Brass, who for several years served as chief of his party's underground work in Nazi Germany.

The committee's program was somewhat vague but militant: "The new free trade unions are called upon to become the organs of the fighting unity of the working class for the purpose of the complete destruction of fascism. The trade unions are called upon to render assistance to the resurrection of the German nation and in healing the wounds inflicted on the world by the Hitlerite war."

Cultural Correctives. For the reeducation of the Germans, two other organizations were also formed in Berlin: 1) the League of Culture for the Democratic Regeneration of Germany (whose executive committee consisted of Johannes R. Becher, Communist poet, and three non-Communists); 2) The Youth Council for the Eradication of Fascism (whose secretary is Heinz Kessler, member of the Free Germany Committee and one of its propagandists on the central Russian war front). The outstanding feature of these organizations was the collaboration of Communists and Social Democrats--traditional political enemies.

Brand-New Party. Also organized in Russian-occupied Berlin last week was a brand-new political party--the Christian Democrats. It was somewhat early to say what it might turn out to be. But it looked like a liberal party intended to represent the middle class.

To Marshal Georgi Zhukov, boss of Russian-occupied Germany, the Communist, Social Democratic and Christian Democratic parties offered candidates for the posts of president and vice presidents of the administrations of Saxony, Mecklenburg and Brandenburg in the Russian zone. In no case did the Communists, experts in back-seat political driving, propose one of themselves for president. They modestly preferred the vice-presidency. Promptly Marshal Zhukov accepted the candidates, who took office at once.

The President of Mecklenburg is Willi Hoecker (Social Democrat); of his three vice-presidents two are Communists. The President of Saxony is Rudolf Friedrichs (Social Democrat); his five vice-presidents include two Social Democrats, two Christian Democrats, one Communist. The President of Brandenburg is Dr. Arthur Steinhoff (Social Democrat); his four vice-presidents include one Christian Democrat, one Social Democrat, and two prominent members of the Free Germany Committee, Major Bernhard Bechler and Edwin Hornle, onetime Communist Reichstag deputy.

Other Germans who have recently risen in the new Reich: Ottomar Geschke, ex-Communist Reichstag deputy; Colonel Paul Markgraf, Berlin's new police chief.

News of these administrative opportunities last week set members of London's Free Germany organizations clamoring to return to Germany. To Britain's Foreign Office, the Free Germany organizations submitted a list of almost 600 German political refugees who now desire repatriation.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.