MILITANT Saturday, December 7, 1929 Saturday, December 7, 1929 THE JT and the UNITED STATES of EUROI The Imperialist Dictatorship of America e, there economic of the International situation? It means Europe. the establishment of a great Inequality between them in America favor. And that erican is understood perfectly by all the serious participants in this game, above all by the unifying Admiralities of London and Washington.
farmaIf they preserve silence on these matters, order of it is only out of diplomatic timidity. But that the we have no reason to imitate them.
Le surest After the experience of the last war, e. That there is no one who does not understand all the that the next war to set the titans of the usly be world by the ears will be at once long in But such preparation and in duration and not lightme way ning like. The issue will be determined by che cus the respectve powers of production of the two camps. This means that the war fleets that is of the powers will not only be supplemenent was ted and renewed, but in great measure. war by creat very course ify Eu We have seen the extraordinary place occupied by the German submarines in the Disarma military operations during the third year of assumes the war. We have seen how England and place of America, in the very course of the war, mamente created gigantic new armles and armand fin ments, infinitely superior to the old armies United of the European continent. It follows that at, this the soldiers, sailors, cruisers, cannons, at guar tanks and airplanes existing at the outsaying break of hostilities only constitute a point 18 the of departure. The decisive problem will To de depend upon the measure in which the e neces given country will be able to create, under nse. The the enemy fire, cruisers, cannons, soldiers ers hag and sailors. Even the czarlst government nd tons, was able to prepare, at the beginning of trying the war, a certain reserve. But what was plomatic above its power was to create a new one in position the battle.
For England, in case of war with ation of America, there is but one theoretical conund Eng dition of success: That it be capable of of view assuring, before the outbreak of war, a ture.
Dazzling «Logic» Most Re technico military preponderance in order to balance off to a certain extent the incomparable technical and economic preponderAnce of the United States. The equalization of the two fleets before the war means that from the very first months of the war, America will have an incontestable advantage. Not for nothing did America threaten a few years ago to turn out cruisers in an emergency like so many pancakes.
In the negotiations of Hoover and MacDonald, it is not a question of disarmamont or even the limitation of naval armaments: It is solely a question of rationalising the preparation of war. The type of ships 18 becoming obsolete. At present, when the great experience of the war and the flood of inventions it let loose are improved only for military needs and usage, the delay in eliminating various kinds of arms of milltary technique will be infinitely briefer than before 1914. Consequently, the main part of the fleet can be revealed to be obsolete even before it has been put into action.
Under such conditions, is there any sense in accumulating ships in advance? Rationalization in this matter requires having such a fleet as is necessary in the first period of the war and which, up to that point, can serve as a laboratory for testing and experimenting with new inventions and discoverles, in view of the fact that in the period of war it would be necessary to pass over to standardized construction and production in series. All the great powers feel more or less interested in the regulation of armaments, especially the very costly naval armaments. But destiny has transformed this regulation into the greatest prerogative of the economically strongest country.
During these last years, the war and navy departments of the United States have applied themselves to adapting the entire American industry to the needs of the coming war. Schwab, one of the magnates of maritime war industry, concluded his speech to the War College a short time ago with the following words: It must be made clear to you that war in the present period must be compared with a great big industrial enterprise.
The French imperialist press, naturally, is doing all it can to incite America against England. In an article devoted to the naval accord, Le Temps writes that parity of the fleets by no means signifies the equalization of sea power, since America cannot even dream of securing naval bases comparable to those which England has held for centuries. The British naval bases give it an incontestable advantage.
But the accord on the parity of the two fleets, in case it is concluded, will not be the last word of the United States. Its first demand is freedom of the seas. that is, a regime that will appreciably limit Great Britain utilization of its naval bases.
The second: The open door. is of no less importance; under this slogan, Amer1ca will raise not only China but also india and Egypt against British domination.
America will conduct its expedition against the British bases not on sea buton land, that is, across the colonies and dominions of Great Britain. America will put its war fleet into action when the situation is ripe enough for it. Of course all this is music of the future. But this future 18 not separated from us by centuries, nor even by decades. Le Temps need not be uneasy. The United States will take over piece meal all that can be taken in morsols, changing the relation of forces in all fields technical, commercial, financial, military to the disadvantage of its principal rival, and it will not lose sight of the latter exceptional naval bases for a single instant.
The American press has spoken scornfully of the British acclaim of Snowden when he wrested twenty million dollars at the Hague Conference to England profit, that is, a eum that the American tourists spend for their cigars. Is Snowden the victor? asked the New York Times? No!
The real victor is the Young Plan.
that is, American finance capital. Thanks to the Bank of International Settlements, the Young Plan gives America the possibility of holding its hand firmly on the golden pulse of Europe. From the financial Irons forged on Germany feet, there extend strong chains which fetter the hands of France, the feet of Italy, and the neck of Britain. MacDonald, who is now fulfilling the duties of keeper to the British lion, points with pride to the collar and calls it the best instrument of peace.
Just think: To attain this alm, it was enough for America to give its magnantmous aid to Europe so that it might 11quidate the war and to consent to equalize its fleet with that of the weaker Britain.
of the that distinguishes us from the Right wing, 11 deviaalthough that too, despite Browder thin egades. Sarcasm, plays its part. The difference der has lies more deeply rooted than that. The ng about Marxist learns to brush aside all supermething ficial and apparent phenomena and to seek sasion for explanation and analysis in class relahe Daily tions, in class composition of a movement, 3ts have its class aims and program, its origin and fforts to its deeds. All this doesn exist for Browring and der. His dialectic is of that over simplified and the high school type which argues: Lovestone rogram, is for Party democracy: Trotsky says he is puple of for Party democracy: Tammany Hall it, rang appears on the ballot as the Democratic ush the Party; therefore, there is no difference beParty of tween Lovestone, Trotsky and Jimmie Walkguments er. Quod erat demonstratum.
laid end Since purity of intentions have nothd reach ing to do with the question, we will apply Browder penetrating logic to other flelde.
e exam Mussolini runs a dictatorship in Italy. owder the Communists run one in Russia; there3 Marxfore, there is no difference between Fasc.
orker of ism and Communism. The logic of Kaut3 withsky and Browder. The German fascists enegade oppose Trotsky admission to Germany: 80 itionary do the German Stalinites; therefore, there is no difference between Thaelmann and Hitler (The logic of Hilferding and he idenBrowder. At a recent meeting of the Parle other ty Secretariat, Browder, Johnstone and ouflage Dunne demanded that the Party and Left hat he wing policy of staying at work if SchlesLifferent inger calls his strike be reversed; the M11.
of TrotItant also demanded a reversal of this stuerica is pid polley, and Browder, Johnstone and ritman Dunne were accused by Foster and Bedacht of using the same arguments as the Milappear itant (weren you, Browder. therefore, But.
Browder is a counter revolutionary Troty or a skyist. The logic of Lovestone, Foster he pur. and Browder. Browder voted (we hope) class against Jimmie Walker for Mayor: Thomas. When voted against him; La Gaurdia voted againfor the st him; Enright voted against him; Loveaterests stone voted against him; so did we; therefore, says James Browder Walker, there is ness of a conspiracy and united front against as that me ranging from Enright Thomas LaGaurdia alien to through to Browder Lovestone Trotsky.
e meta For, does not that tombstone to MarxLOW the ism, Browder, inform us that It is true e Trot that the renegades all have the same prom with gram in essentials, especially on the practilous to cal questions. This reflects an underlying unity of theory?
The mechanical empiricism of Lester That Ward is hard to unlearn. We will grant does he that to Browder. But should not the Party ag, like see to it that Marxism is taught its spokestudy of men instead of inflicting upon us the views of an unregenerate Wardite who argues and intions makes analyses like a befoozled liberal?
damental source of Briand Whatever the various stages of ment may be, one thing is clea growing disruption of the inte equilibrium in favor of America Since 1923, had to conduct a strug essential source of all the crises gle to have the leadership of the CommunIst International consent, finally, to take olutionary convulsions in Europ coming period. Whoever consid notice of the existence of the United States capitalist stabilization is assured to and to understand that Anglo American of years understands nothing of antagonism constitutes the fundamental situation and will inevitably sink, line of the groupings and conflicts in the hair, into the swamp of reformisi world. This was considered a heresy even If the question is to be viewed at the time of the Fifth Congress of the way it presents itself on the ot middle of 1924. was accused of of the Ocean, that is, from the st exaggerating, of enlarging the role of Amer. of the fate of the United States, it ica. legend was concelved according to that here too the perspectives ep which had prophesied the disappearance do not at all resemble a peaceful of European antagonisms in the face of the idyl.
Amer peril. Ossinsky, Larin and otherg smeared up not a little paper in order to Up to the war, the power of the detbrone powerful America. Radek, folStates grew on the basis of th: a market, in conformity with lowing the bourgeois Journalist, affirmed that an epoch of Anglo American collaboraequilibrium between industry and tion 18 ahead of us, confusing temporary The war brought forward and eposodic relations with the essence of crisis in this development, Th world developments.
ed States exports capital and ured goods in ever greater prof Little by little, however, America was The growth of the world power recognized by the official leadership of United States means that the wh the Communist International which began tem of American industry and ba to repeat my formulae of yesterday, not failing, of course, to add each time that that gigantic capitalist skyscraper Itselt in an increasing degree u the Opposition exaggerates the role of foundations of world economy.
America. The correct estimation of Amerfoundation is sapped and the Unite ica was at that time, as is known, the excontinues to sap it day by day.
clusive prerogative of Pepper and Loveporting merchandise, capital, by stone.
a fleet, by squeezing England, From the moment when the orientation ing up the most important enterp to the Left was established, the reserva Europe, in making a way for it tions disappeared. Now it is obligatory China and elsewhere, United SE upon the official theoreticians to predict nance capital is with its own har that England and America are moving ging cellars under its own four inevitably towards war. On this subject where powder and dynamite are wrote, some time in February of last lating Where will the light year, to the deported comrades: The An to the wick? In Asia, in Edrope glo American antagonism is at last serious South America? or what is most ly recognized. It seems that Stalin and in Warious places at one time. Tha Bucharin are beginning to understand ready a secondary question.
what it is all about. Nevertheless, our It is unfortunate that the papers are simplifying the problem too leadership of the Communist Inte much when they picture the situation as if Anglo American antagonisms were becoming continuously aggravated and must lead to war right away. There is no doubt that there will still be a few crises in the course of its development. War would be a too dangerous business now for the two rivals. They will still make many ef The future historian of the mo forts to come to an understanding and in thumbing over the numbers of th make peace. But at the end of all this national Press Currespondence for e there is a bloody denouement towards will be impressed by this astoundir which they are proceeding with great Trotskyism has been killed, ha strides.
revived, has decayed, was born ag The present stage aggumes anew the came a corpse and disintegrated, abpect of a military collaboration be life again, and went through simile tween America and England, and even carnations literally dozens of time some French journals fear to see the rise It has been alternately chara of an Anglo Saxon dictatorship. It is eviand condemned as Right wing dent the United States can utilize, and tion; Left wing deviation; will utilize, their collaboration with Engtrist deviation; The product of land to hold Japan and France in check ism The product of impatience; with the same bridle. But all this will expression of the middle peasantry; be a stage not towards an Anglo Saxon expression of the labor aristocracy; domination but towards an American dicresult of Kulak pressure; The re tatorship weighing down on the world, of the declassed workers; 10. The including Great Britain.
of foreign imperialism; 11. tende In this connection, the leaders of the wards syndicalism; 12. An inverted Communist International may repeat that reformism; 13. An under estimatic see no other perspective than the tri over estimation) of the middle (or umph of American capital. The petty rich) peasantry; and so on ad in bourgeois theoreticians of Populism like In fact there is no tendency or class wise accused the Marxists of always con tion of a class that has not foun Juring up the victory of capitalism. These expressed at one time or another, accusations are worthy of each other, way or another, by socalled Trotsky When we say that America is moving toSo that this corpse of Trotsky wards world domination, it does not at which the spirits of every class an all mean that this domination will be entum in society was embodied, has tirely realized in fact, nor that, even the most remarkable political should it be realized in one measure or that history has ever known that another, It will last for centuries or even those mutton heads whose gospel decades. It is only a question of the his tained in the editorial and news torical tendency which, in reality, will of the Daily Worker and its repl change aspect, find itself outstripped, in every country. Announcements on order to make way for other historical ten. Anal decay of Trotskyism haven dencies. Were the cauitalist world able to come as regular and meaningless exigt for decades with but revolutionary official Stalinist press as its procla convulsions, then these decades would be of the mass movements organized incontestable indications of the American Party. And this is so because the world dictatorship. But the matter lles pré integration of socalled Trotskyism cisely in this: That this process will deve mean the disintegration of the foun lop its own contradictions that will be added of the international Communist mo to all the other contradictions of the capt with which it is synonymous.
talist system. America will force Europe to Now comes the Revolutionar strive towards an even greater rationalization (No. 3) with an article by and at the same time it will leave Europe on consisting of a fact or two, a few hal ly an ever more reduced part of the world and a number of lies patched toge market. steady aggravation of the dif prove that ficulties in Europe will result. The com The Trotskyist movement all o petition of the European powers for this world is in a state of severe crisis.
reduced part of the world market will be ical confusion reigns everywhere and come unavoidably keener. At the same time izational disintegration is already time, the European powers, under the advanced stage. The forces of di pressure of America, will endeavor to ration of the official Trotskyist mo coordinate their forces. That is the fun come from two directions. The ushing om that