November 1, 1929.
THB MILITANT Page What MacDonald Accomplished Here 600, 000.
Three Conferences for Defense of Gastonia tremendous contribution to the peace of the By Max Shachtman mysterious technical explanations of naval experts world. titanic blow for peace. One of the greatand sundry pacifists cannot conceal that.
est forward steps toward naval limitations that has been taken. practical step toward world peace, a and the next and the one which succeeds it to pay triIt has been proved that cruisers, as well as battlelong step toward sanity. There are the lyrical exbut to the not our own tribute, but tribute painships, as a defensive protector of trade vessels and travaganzas with which the American capitalist press fully collected by Britain in Europe from nations large routes are a gigantic fraud. Britain scores of dreadgreeted the visit of Ramsay MacDonald to Hoover. The and small. Shall we set out the effect of the agreenaughts plus its 50 cruisers would provide convoys reality of imperialist politics is far more prosaic than ments for the year of 1980, fifty one years hence, when for about three dozen escorts in case of a war with the names who are now tempted to squabble will long Japan, let say for such routes all this wordy blabber. The MacDonald Hoover neAuckland to gotiations were not a step toward world peace, or have been forgotten? Here they are: Panama, Sydrrey to Wellington, Honolulu to Panama, toward world disarmament. They were one of the Agreement by Britain to the Hong kong to Honolulu, Colombo to Aden, Hong kong 38, 300, 000 to Singapore, for the coastal traffic of East Africa, many preliminary peace time skirmishes in which each side tried to make the best of its position in prepar Agreements to pay to Britain: India, Burma, China, Australia and the intricate sys 14, 000, 000 ation for the war between the United and England By France tems of the East Indian Archipelago. For adequate which is already traced out for the future.
By Italy 4, 500, 000 protection, literally hundreds upon hundreds of cruisers The alleged aims of the conversations were: The reBy Rumania 700, 000 would be needed. Raiders could make mince meat out duction of non capital ships and the achievement of By Jugo Slavia of trading vessels. It would take a force of ten ships, parity by 1936. Neither navy is to undertake the buildBy Portugal 400, 000 going at 15 knots, twenty nine weeks for one search ing of new units for the next seven years. The British By Greece 400, 000 of the Indian Ocean alone. Japanese fleet of 30 fleet is to be conceded a certain small cruiser superBy Germany 18, 000, 000 modern cruisers, intent upon crippling Pacific and Indian trade, would require a fleet of hundreds of cruisiority for policing and trade route protection pur 38, 600, 000 poses which give it no actual combat superiority. Heavy ers to force them to remain at their bases.
It is plain that cruisers are meant exclusively for reductions are to be made in both destroyer and sub The extent of the financial domination of the Unitactive naval engagements of an offensive character, marine fleets, the United States to permit about 200. ed States is graphically depicted by these telling fig which have nothing at all to do with the high sound000 tons of destroyers to become obsolescent by 1936 ures. They explain the reason for the unusually bitter ing purpose of peaceful protection of trade.
and Britain about 75, 000 bringing them down to vir fight made by Snowden at the Hague conference and In other words, although or precisely because the tual parity. similar decimation is to take place for his victory over France, which resulted in an increase is trying to put the Earopcan powers on an ever sul marines.
of Britain share of the unconditional German annui diminishing ration, the latter are driven to ever more This marks the second big naval defeat of Great Bri ties from 14, 292, 000 to 22, 867, 200. It also becomes desperate resistance, an ever louder clamor for a larger tain. The first was at the 1922 Washington conference clear why, when the New York Federal Reserve Bank share in world economy, which leads steadily to a where the broke up the Anglo Japanese alliance raises its discount rate from percent to percent sharpening of the antagonisms that make for war, and forced capital ship parity upon England. In that on August 8, the Bank of England must, a few days Even in the face of American financial domination, field, the now has built, under construction, or later, raise its rate from 1 percent to 1 percent, England must carry on a struggle, underneath all authorized, 525, 850 tons, while England has 556, 350 the highest in eight years, in an attempt to coax back the gracious gestures of MacDonald, to retain as much tons. The big disparity between the two competing some of its fugitive gold from Wall Street and prevent military, naval and political power as possible in store powers lay for seven years in the cruiser category. curtailment of credit even though it aggravates the for the coming clash that will decide the supremacy At the Washington conference, Britain maintained that unemployment situation in such badly hit British indus of the world to the accompaniment of 16 in naval guns, it required a minimum of 600, 000 tons, and no agree tries as coal, steel and cotton.
aerial bombs and trench fire.
ment could be arrived at.
These dynamics facts, and not the pacific cooings of At the Geneva conference in 1927, the American dele MacoDnald, are the motivating force in England re The attitude of France, Italy and Japan and their gate, Gibson, proposed a maximum of 250, 000 300, 000 treat to parity with the United States. MacDonald special role in this struggle, already manifest and sure tons, which failed to find the agreement of the First knows these painful realitites just as well as Baldwin to come out more openly when the projected FiveLord of the Admiralty, Bridgeman, who insisted upon did when he was forced to throw the Anglo French Power conference takes place next January, either in a minimum of 450, 000 tons, and a total amount of 70 alliance overboard. He also knows that the retention London or Geneva, are of special significance. But an cuisers. On this point the conference collapsed, but of England 50 cruisers is not for the peaceful pur analysis of these factors must be reserved for another American pressure increased and even forced, sub pose of war, and they are fit for nothing else. All the article.
sequently, the repudiation of the Anglo French agreement (as it did the Anglo Japanese in 1922) by the Conservative government. Under MacDonald, the British demand has finally been scaled down to 339, 000 tons, and instead of 70 cruisers, 50 are now required.
This brings about a virtual parity with the in The trial of the seven Gastonia militants has un swore that the case was not a frame up, Otto Hall, spite of its 35 criusers, since we have a number of doubtedly aroused the sympathy of broad sections of Eli Keller, Harriet Silverman and similar lights.
10, 000 ton cruisers equipped with inch guns that the American working class, and one of the best oppor Throughout the conference, literally not a single delehave a firing range of thrice the power of the inch tunities is at hand to mobilize and organize the senti gate spoke from the floor not one! There being no guns mounted on most British cruisers.
ment of hundreds of thousands of workers to form a agenda, nothing could be discussed. few minutes afThe United States has achieved a temporary vic ring of defense around the victims of the frame up. ter midnight, the usual resolution was rushed through tory over the British lion and the picture presented The official Communist Party, however, has almost to before the report of the credentials committee had at the Spithead review in July 1914 of the British tally neglected to approach these sympathetic workers been presented. All through the evening, the leadfleet as the mightiest in the world can now be relegat and to draw them into a united front against the jail. ing thinkers of the Party, Overgaard, Jakira, Weined to a museum with many other of Britannia glor ors. Instead it has followed the narowest kind of a stone, Wagenknecht and Bloomfield continually conies. For the time being, England has been forced to sectarian policy which has deliberately alienated some ferred in the hall and corridors on what to do with submit to the iron arrogance of the United States, of the best elements in the labor movement.
comrades Rose and James Russell, delegates from MacDonald came to the brooks of Rapidan not a The spurious ultra Leftist policy of the Party has the Communist League. The upshot of these confermagnanimous bearer of peace but as a representative rarely shown its bankruptcy so pitifully as at two of ences was that the crecdntials comunittee report, of the once most powerful empire in the world that the conferences for relief and defense called in New brought in just before the motion to adjourn, reccannot stand the furious pace its bloated American couYork, outwardly, as a result of our criticism, as unit ommended that all delegates be seated, although not sin can set, and comes to beg for a respite. It is not ed front conferences, but actuality as jealously a single name of a delegate or of an organization was the peace loving English social democrat who has won guarded gatherings of a clan. At the first of these, read off! No committee was elected to carry on the the belligerent American imperialists to the cause of the Youth Conference held on October 13, the only sign work in the future, no plans or proposed, nothing acbrotherly love. It is the financial domination of Wall of activity displayed by the young Stalinists was their complished except the collection of a few dollars. The Street that has forced the once haughty naval power rejection of the credentials presented by Comrades mass united front was a mass meeting, a small, inclown to party on the seas.
George Clarke and Joe Friedman of the Youth Group significant mas meeting, splendidly controlled, capThe center of world economi power has shifted of the Communist League, and by Hank Stone, the tured and attended almost exclusively by the Party the last decade from Europe (specifically, England) Postal Clerks. Harry Yaris, caucus master of ceremembers. That is the sort of victories achieved by the to the United States. The despite the resistance monies, explained that the first two could not be seatirresponsible faction mongers of the Party at Gastonia with which it is met and will be met in the future ed by informing the delegates that the Communist expense.
in an even broader and more belligerent degree, is at League was not a bona fide organization. Our com In Minneapolis, these is a totally different picture.
tempting to put the European capitalist countries on rades, in reply, pointed out that this was the classic There the Party and the have virtually disapan ever smaller ration in world economy. Its direct, argument of the fakers in the unions against Legt wing peared since the expulsion of the best comrades for even if unwilling, agent in Europe is Great Britain. and progressive organizations, and that the impera their support to the Opposition. Despite the numerous It is no accident that the first Labor government, also tive problem of the moment was now to organize an urgings of the local Communist League branch, the under MacDonald, put through the Dawes Plan in Ger all inclusive front of those willing to work for the re Party and the have failed to take a single step many. England has become the European collection lease of the frame up victims. Apparently, this was in the Gastonia defense rather than work together agent for Washington and Wall Street. An examination of secondary importance to the conference directors, with our comrades. The disgraceful neglect by the of the cisposition German reparations under the and after a few brilliant remarks by a few otner Party has finally been overcome by a group of active Young Morgan Plan will indicate this. The creditors young neo Bolsheviks, the conference voted to refuse militants in the labor movement who have sent out a of Germany receive their payments directly as fol our comrades admission. All who voted thus were call for a Unity Conference for Gastonia Defense held lows: England, about 5 of total; France, about bound by discipline as members of the Young Commun Tuesday, October 29, at Labor Headquarters. The 2; Italy, about 104 the United States about 30; ist League, while every single delegate to the confer provisional committee is composed of such well known and the rest is divided among Belgium, the British ence who was not under this discipline, voted to seat workers in the Minneapolis labor movement as: John Dominions, etc. But, one of the German payments re our comrades. That was the sum and substance of the Brinda, member Upholsterers Union No. 61; Scott, ceived by France, Italy, Belgium and other lands, a achievements of the conference. Yaris made no report member of Operative Plasterers Union No. 65; third or more must be paid immediately by each of of the past work of the committee, but contented him Christenson, member of Electrical Workers Union No.
them the Approximately the same amount self with an agitational speech on the need for de 292; Guy Alexander, Fin Secy. Electrical Workers must be paid also to England. England, in turn must fending the prisoners. No plans for future work were Union No. 292; David Hingsley, member of of pay such an enormous sum to the United States that outlined. The important thing was already accomplished Local 704; Evans, member of of the final disposition of the German payments the unseating of the hated Trotskyists, even though Local 494; Ed. Lawrence, member of Electrical is approximately as follows: France, 5; Belgium, it was done at the cost of driving away every non Workers Union No. 292; Sturtevant, member of Italy, the Dominions, etc. 6 and the United States, Party sympathizer with the defense. of Local 704; Hoberman, secy Capabout 3. England is left to hold the sack, with vir The regular mass united front Gastonia conference makers Union Local 12; Chas. Pederson, member Electually nothing!
held about a week later under Party control was even trical Workers Union No. 292; Carl Skoglund, memOr, regard it from another angle. Sir Leo Chiozza worse. Nominations for chairman, secretary and com ber Railroad Carmens Union Local 299; Carlson, Money, the British bourgeois economist, points out: mittees were made openly by slate. No outside nomi organizer, Oscar Coover, member Elec We have agreed to pay to the for two genera nations were even considered by the chairman or put trical Workers Union No. 292; Green, member tions, about 38 million pounds a year. This sum we are to vote! Such a notoriously bourgeois institution as of of Local 474; Leo Gisslen, secretary of Soto collect yearly for 60 years, as to 18, 000, 000 from an agenda was not presented delegates. At cialist Party; Hedlund, Locomotive Engineer; Germany and roundly as to 20, 000, 000 from France, least 90 of the delegates were Party memrors, and Hopkins, member of of Local 474; Henry Italy, Greece, Jugo Slavia, Portugal and Rumania. the conference itself was composed of about Wole Kook, member of Electrical Workers Union No. 292; That is to say, we collect money in Europe and pay it gates, and this in the strongest district of A. Roseland, Carpenters Union No. The compoor to America, the income almost exactly equalling For three solid hours, the conference was of the committee ensures broad, unified efforts uteo. Agreements. condemn this generation listen to bally hoo speeches from Robe in the Twin Cities.