October 4, 1919 THE COMMUNIST Page Five Mightier American Militarism FEW months ago a bill was intro with the assistance of the commander in Lieut. Colonel was enough for every 210, duced in the Senate concerning the chief. The commander in chief superin 000 soldiers; now for every 7, 000. Now reorganization of the army of the tends the reports of all expenditures. In one Major for every 5, 600 soldiers; before United States. The authors of this bill are this way the proposed bill takes away from one Major for every 100, 000 soldiers. The Secretary of War Baker and Chief of Staff Congress the only means it had with result is that in comparison with the numMarch. This bill was discussed recently which it could control an ever increasing ber of soldiers in the army the number of in the Senate Committee on Military Af militarism. Now this last means the ex Generals increased twenty five times, the fairs, and in the near future will be dispenditure of the people money is taken number of Colonels thirty three times, the cussed in the Senate.
away from Congress and given to the com number of Lieut. Colonels thirty times, mander in chief.
and the number of Majors eighteen times.
The aim of this bill is to strengthen and The main reason for this bill is to Besides this new Brigadier Generals are insure the militarization of the United States. This militarism is being forced strengthen the power of the GeneralStafr. appointed and one full General. This inFor this end its membership is very much crease concerns only the General Staff.
upon the country, in spite of the fact that enlarged. Previous to the war the memThe bill further takes away the power armament preparations were supposed to bership of the General Staff consisted of of the Senate to protest appointments.
end with the signing of peace. If any one had hopes of this, he should discard these 55 officers, of whom were Generals, 10 Article 32 says that the president has Colonels, 10 Lieut Colonels, 15 Majors, the full power to appoint any officer for hopes now that the bill of Baker and and 17 Captains. According to the law of any service which he finds necessary and March is being considered. The authors for whatever period he thinks advisable.
of this bill have apparently learned a big May 12, 1917, the number of officers of the General Staff was increased to 91. Therefore all these newly formed, welllesson from German militarism, to crush which all the power of the land was mobilnew law increased the number of officers paid positions will be in the hands of the of the General Staff to 231. Of these some president a tool for remuneration of all ized. They know that militarism does not will have the full rank of generals, well deserving citizens who are his servmake peace, even with democracy. Therefore they prohibit the intervention of ciMajor Generals, or Lieutenant Generals, ants and valets.
vilians, and even of Congress, in the in Colonels, 89 Majors and 17 Captains.
Brigadier Generals, 41 Colonels, 73 Lieut. Generally, the General Staff will conternal affairs of the army.
trol the life of not only a half million army In the past Congress decided upon the This means that for the command of a of soldiers, but of thousands of officers of size of each army unit, cavalry, infantry, half million army, 31, times as many of all ranks and titles. The General Staff, artillery, etc. Congress decided upon the ficers are appointed as was necessary pre according to its own opinion, will be able budget. Congress appointed committees viously for a four million army. This will to force the officers to resign or transfer to investigate whether money for the become clear from the following compari them to another corner of the world. The army was expended as Congress decided. son. Until this time the army of the Unit General Staff has acted in this way more in the near future, if the Baker March ed States had no officer who had the rank than once recently. Many officers, knowbill passes, conditions will change. The of full general. This bill provides for one ing this practice of the General Staff, rechief of staff works out the expenditures full general, who will command the Gen fused to give evidence of any sort to Senfor the entire army. He hands these fig eral Staff. Before one major general was ate committees investigating military exures to the secretary of war and the latter necessary for every two million soldiers, penses. For these officers the Senate through the secretary of the treasury now one major general for every 80, 000 anger was less important than the anger hands the figures to Congress. Neither soldiers. At the time of war the entire of the leaders of the General Staff.
the secretary of war nor the secretary of four million army had no Brigadier Gen The bill gives the General Staff power the treasury are at liberty to make erals, now a half million army will have also over the officers in reserve forces.
changes in these figures. Congress must five Brigadier Generals. Before one Staff Even in times of peace any officer in reappropriate the required sum wholesale. Colonel was enough for each 400, 000 sol serve may be taken away from his family, This sum is divided among the different diers, now there will be one Staff Colonel for military service; but this service candepartments by the secretary of war only for every 12, 000 soldiers.
Before one not last more than 25 days.
Industrial Unionism and the Revolution YAR and revolution have shattered Py Niurphy.
launched into revolutionary deeds, unconmany things besides cathedrals From The Workers Dreadnought (Eng. scious of the fact that they are revolutionary.
and thrones.
Old theories of social development were However desirable a perfect weapon It does not follow from these observablown to the winds with the first shot of may be, we are compelled by the force of tions that none are conscious of the directhe world war. What were considered up circumstances to accept the weapon which tion of these movements. But it does folto date notions of progressive development history provides.
low that they who are conscious of the diwent the way of the obsolete with the The economic antagonisms in society rection in which things are moving, and bursting forth of the world revolution in provide the impelling force which drives are confessedly out to achieve a social 1917.
us to fight. The conception of a new sorevolution, have before them a clearly deEven the professed revolutionists have cial order derived from human experience fined responsibility, e. to harness these had to shift their ground and review and demanding a social revolution provides intuitive movements of the masses that afresh the relationship of their ideas on us with the objective which must be the they may lead to social revolution.
industrial organization to the achievement determinant of the nature of our activi When the masses move it is useless to of a social revolution.
ties in the fight.
tell them they cannot do anything until The class struggle has been proclaimed, The failure of many industrial unionists they have embraced Industrial Unionism.
Industrial Unionism has been advocated, to appreciate these facts has stultified Certainly it is all to the good for Inand a variety of methods adopted to their activities.
dustrial Unionist ideas on organization to achieve the organization desired. But in subject class cannot choose either the be applied. The masses, however, will not most cases it has been assumed that before ideal moment to move or the ideal wenpon move because they are Industrial Uniona revolution could be achieved it would be with which to fight.
ists or trade unionists, but on account of essential for the working class to adopt Its subjection compels a continuous the pressure of circumstances, Under Industrial Unionism.
struggle against odds.
such stress they will use any organization, History has proved this idea to be as Such has been the struggle of the work old or new.
wrong in experience as the theory that it ing class throughout its history. Ham The movement of the masses towards would be necessary for all countries to pered by its wide distribution, its lack of Socialism is the thing that matters.
go through a stage of highly developed In consciousness of itself as a class, disin The value of all ideas on organization dustrial Capitalism prior to a revolution tegrated by a multitude of minor interests, will be tested by the degree to which they leading to Socialism.
it has fought onward through the years. can be applied in a crisis, in a revolutionIndustrial Unionism is a theory of or It has never yet set out to achieve any ary transition, and in the maintenance of ganization arrived at as a result of the ex thing as an organized class, and never will the revolutionary victory.
amination of industry, and a consideration do, so long as it is a subiect class.
of what would be the most effective manA year of revolution will teach the ner of waging the conflict against the Such a movement pre supposes a genmasses more of industrial organization Capitalist class.
eral intellectual revolution prior to a social than fifty years of propaganda.
That this theory has contributed valurevolution, the thinking in terms of a new Social Revolution should be the objective determining our activities, able assistance to the workers in their order not yet in existence.
struggle none can dispute.
Mankind does not act in this manner, Industrial Unionism should be the ar But it must never be forgotten that orIts movements are urged by its elemental mory from which can be drawn valuable ganization is not an end in itself. It is a needs, and when any social order fails to ideas to help in the conflict.
means to an end: a weapon, something meet them, it is superseded by another. Industrial and political crises should be with which to wage a fight for an objective The mass moves intuitively in response regarded as the revolutionary situations to other than itself.
to the pressure of circumstances and is be harnessed for social revolution.