The Daily Worker Newspaper, October 4, 1924, Page 9

‘ ee a ee en ere eS SERN tent RS nett cen nee seen te ne Drifting Into War With Japan If you are interested in the real reasons for the latest anti-Japanese campaign in the capitalist press of the United States, don’t look to Geneva, Switzerland, where the League of Na- tions (so-called) is at present holding its sessions, but look toward China where actual war ‘is taking place for a readjustment of the balance of power in China among the imperialist na- tions of the world. The Real Bone of Contention The story that I am going to relate in just a few words, is an old one. It is the story of the relations between the imperialists of America and Japan, each of the two groups cherishing am- bitions and dreaming dreams of con- quest, plunder and robbery of the so- called backward countries of the Pac- ific Ocean. China for instance, What better and richer prize is there now in the im- perialist. game to fight. for? Particular- ly for the capitalists of Japan and the United. States. None to compare fo China. It is rich in man-power and in natural resources. It has a popula- tion of nearly 500 million people. It is backward in the sense that it has not yet developed a capitalist econ- omy and 2 capitalist class of its own to take care effectively of its own affairs. -Because of this latter fact China has no stable centralized govern- ment to resist the encroachments of foreign imperialists. , Another reason why China looks so desirable to the capitalists of Japan and America lies in the fact that as yet not one single capitalist power has succeeded in conquering China for itself to the exclusion of other powers. China is still to be had, it continues to serve as the battling ground for about half a dozen imperialist groups, and it is in this battle that American and Japanese capitalism have definite- ly locked horns. The Conquest of the Pacific Very early in its history, the rising American capitalist class had realized the importance of the countries of the Pacific Ocean for its imperialistic ex- pansion. The Caribbean islands, China and the Far East generally have for quite some time been luring the imagination of our enterprising imper- ialists. They see the finger of fate beckoning to them from those far- away countries. with promises of glory, power and profits. And they have an- swered the call. “They have issued on the great conquest of the Pacific, and American Imperialism (Continued from page 4.) capital is remote and its transactions cannot be so easily observed. That is why American capital can come to Europe and play there the role of a pacifier. And then its powér! This colossal, fabulous, unheard of wealth which so appeals to the vanity of the petty bourgeoisie, to the vanity of the social-democrat. And here I might tell you, by the way, something of my own experiences with representatives of American cap- ital, During the last year, due to my official position, I had the occasion to talk to some American senators, re- publican and democratic. Their ap- pearance and manner betrays appal- ing provincialism. Iam not even cer- tain whether or not they are well ac- quainted with the geography of Eur- ope. Out of politeness let us assume that they are. But when they discuss politics, they talk like this: “I told Poincare,” “I remarked to Curzon,” “I explained to Mussolini.” They feel themselves in Europe as leaders and bosses. Thus we can find some newly- hatched millionaire, some manufac- turer of condensed milk or of other canned products speaking with an ‘air of condescension to the most respon- sible’ bourgeois political leaders of Europe. And it is because of this fact that some maneuvers of the British| bourgeoisie calculated to preserve her. leadership in Europe, may prove to be. faulty. But on this subject of Great Britain I shall speak in my next article. ~ on the road to their final eae have already secured such monumen tal acquisitions, to mention only a few, as the Philippines, the Caribbean islands, and the Panama Canal. The capitalists of the United States shall rule the Pacific!—this has been and still is the militant slogan of the growing and fattening American im- perialism. The policy of the so-called Open Door in China is merely camou- flage for the plundering expeditions of American imperialism into the countries of the Far Hast. ; Japanese Capitalism in China Japan is a neighbor of China, every- body knows that. At the time when Japan was still in alliance with Eng- land, the future looked very briglit to the capitalists .of Japan, the latter has been securing practical control over a number of Chinese provinces, and jointly with the British was grad- ually establishing a virtual’ protector- ate over the whole of China, This did not at all please the cap- italists of America. But what could they do? Very little to change con- ditions materially. England was still all-powerful (remember, we are now speaking of the pre-war period), Ger AT GENEVA many was pushing ahead with all her might, and so were France and Russia and Japan. The days of America’s financial world power were yet to come. But, nevertheless, the conflict be- tween America and Japan was on. it has been more than two decades since Japan has become, to use a term of the traditional diplomacy, the “natural en- emy” of the United States. Which means in human language that the imperialist ambitions of the Japanese capitalists presents a stumbling block to the same ambitions of the capital- ists of America, this’ stumbling block to be overcome and destroyed. Here is in a nutshell the old story of the basis of the mutual relations be- tween the capitalists of America and the capitalists of Japan. Post-War American Diplomacy in China The real business of clipping the wings of Japanese imperialism in China by the capitalists of America began soon after the conclusion of the late war. We needn’t go now in- to much detail: Suffice it to say that since the days of the “Peace” Confer- ence at Versailles the capitalists of America have succeeded in the fol- lowing: f. Japan has been compelled to return to China some of the annexed pro- vinces. Japan has been compelled to relin- quish a great portion of her virtual protectorate over the rest of China. Japan has lost ‘her alliance with England because of the demand of the United States. Japan has been compelled to accept the naval ratio of 5:5:3. All of which has been brought about iiete-< etre Bile ed AL AP Be at Fd Eid AN RA thal ARIE 2 LER mes a= = ws cn TR: Il Pestle RSET oF os A Ee IE I AN LIE ED Se EY a NO NI ol by the insistence and pressure of the capitalists and the government of the United States. Now, how do you suppose did the Japanese capitalists feel about it? Rotten, indeed, And then, on top of all this, came the earthquake of last year which still further decreased the fighting abilities of the Japanese im- perialists. So, there you are. The capitalists of America in the bloom of their power, dictating and imposing terms upon Europe, hurrying headlong and triumphantly into the further conquest of the Pacific, and securing for them- selves an ever larger share of the im- perialist spoils in China. On the other hand, the capitalists of Japan: weak- ened, hamstrung and blocked in their expansion. The result? Very simple. A grim determination on. the part. of the eapitalists..of Japan to prepare in all possible. ways fora life and death struggle against the imperialists of America. - F 4 The Wars of Chinese Generals. To repeat: It is the conquest of China that is at stake in the Amer- ican-Japanese relations and not the exclusion laws against the Japanese RAMSAY MacDONALD British Prime Minister IN CHINA Passed by the last session of the Un- ited States congress. These laws have merely added fuel to a fire already burning. At present this struggle for control over China between the iniperialists of the so-called Great Powers is man- ifesting itself partly in the war of the Chinese Generals. ‘What is this war about? We shall leave out of present consideration one angle of this war (reseving the matter for treatment in a future article) which is the conspiracy of all of the foreign imperialists, in alliance with the Chinese reactionaries, to over- throw the nationalist-revolufionary government of San-Yat-Sen at Canton, Southern China. Then, there remains what? A war between two generals. Their names are: Wu-Pei-Fu and Tchan-Tzo-Lin, The field of battle at present is Shanghai and. the surround- ings. The stakes are the. possession and control of the provinces of Central and Northern China. There are the bare facts. But what is the real meaning and significance of this war of generals? Well, it has two angles. One is internal, that is, various sections of the Chinese bout- geoisie are struggling for power among themselves and are rallying for this purpose to one or another, of the warring generals. The other angle is external. It is the fact that one of these generals is supported by one set of foreign imper- ialists and the other general is sup- ported by another set of foreign im- perialists. More concretely; The im- Perialists of the United States and England are supporting general Wu- Pei-Fu, while Tchan-Tzo-Sin is sup- ported by the imperialists of Japan: In other words one of the phases By Alexander Bittelman of this war of Chinese generals is the fact that it is really a war between American and Japanese capitalism for power and influgnce in China. And the Japanese incident in Geneva is merely a reflection of a struggle that is already on. We are drifting into a big war with Japdn,- What is the labor movement of the United States going to do about it? MILITARISTS GAG WITH RAGE; PLAY ‘GOES OVER BIG “What “Price Glory?” Gets Crowded Houses NEW YORK, Oe. 3.—In: spite of attacks by army and navy officers which declare that the play ~‘inter- feres with recruiting for the marine corps,” “What Price Glory?” continues to play to packed houses who do not seem to mind the omission of a few of the worst oaths attributed by the producer to some of the “best citi- zens.” Sydney G. Gumpertz, manag- ing editor of Empire State Legionaire and state historian American Legion, department of New York, addressed a letter to one of the authors of the play, Lawrence Stallings, in which Gumpertz, after giving his war record in full, denounces the dramatist and declares that he has “insulted every living soldier and profaned our hoh- ored dead.” Gumpertz concluded by saying “if some marines were like this, then I thank God that I was in the army.” United States attorney Hayward, a colonel himself, saw the play before any complaint was raised and did not take action against it. It now rests in his hands whether he will order it stopped on the charge that it vio- lates federal statute forbidding wear- ing of the uniform of the army, navy, or marines on the stage in any way to bring discredit on those branches of the service. It’s No Cinch. NEW YORK, Oct. 3. — Girls who work in the closed dance halls have to dance at least 40 dances an even- ing to earn $2.40, says Maria W. Lambkin, who has just reported: on conditions in the dance halls for cer- tain social agencies. In’ “closed” halls the girls are employed by the mana- ger and must dance with whomever he chooses no matter how offensive the partner may be. Miss Lambkin suggests a minimum wage for the girls. EARN YOUR COMMUNIST MER. IT STAMP BY GETTING A NEW MEMBER FOR THE PARTY AND ANOTHER READER AND suUB SCRIBER TO THE DAILY WORKER, MULLER’S RESTAURANT A good place to eat 1010 RUSH STREET Tel. Superior 7079 Furnishings LADIES’ MEN'S INFANTS’ Trade Where Your Money Buys the Most Martin’s 651 West North Avenue East of Halsted St.