The Daily Worker Newspaper, November 3, 1931, Page 4

Page Four By EARL BROWDER. story is being economic cris: the months of September and were crowded events equivalent of decade of “normal” development. The “rock of ages,” the Bank of England and the pound sterling, went bankrupt, slipped and fell from its foundation of eded up by its results. October In gold, and plunged into the swamp of inflation. Japan, by a sudden and de cisively-executed military coup, seized Manchuria, that rich booty upon w its eyes have been fixed stea two generations. The F Minister, Laval, v ter, Briand, visit in Be with President Hinden cellor Bruening of the In Republic, announci the foundation of 2 has been r lion dolla from the United States within 30 days, and Eurone witnesses a “run on the dollar.” President Hoover, after a has- tily called conference wi of Re- publican and De s and the principal bankers and industrialists announce the establishment of an ex ordinary apparatus to bolster up American banking system and “restore confidence among the bankers in their ability to perform their normal func- tions.’ The Hearst newspapers, the liberals, and the “socialists” begin an agitation for “reasonable inflation” the dollar. The United States enters oreign M: to cor rg and Ww the of - the Regroupi except Sunday, at 50 HAT IS BEHIND THE » Lhe Growin the League of Nations by the “back door,” with the result of “strengthen- ing” that organization in such a way as to lead British observers to declare that it has been wrecked. Laval visits Hoover in Washington, for conver: tions that set rocking the chancellories of the world, concluding secret agree- ments which every group and country is figuring out for itself. Japan, occu- pying Manchuria, territory of a foreign | nation, many times bigger than its own area proper, issues an ultimatum to the Soviet Union, demanding the cessation of troop movements within Soviet ter- ritory beyond the borders of Manchuria. Ramsay MacDonald heads a “national’’, government, composed: of Tories with Labor and Liberal decorations, which sweeps the general elections, reducing the Labor Party to an insignificant min- ority of about 10 per cent in Parlia- ment. The daily press is filled with the news and rumors of a thousand prep- arations for a new world war. Less than two months’ time! And we have mentioned only a few of the outstanding events of the period. The whole range of inner policy within each country shows the same feverish trans- formations! THE NEW IMPERIALIST CONSTELLATION Is it possible to discern anything definite emerging on the basis of this kaleidescopic chaos of deepening antag- onisms and contradictions? Yes, the last weeks have clearly disclosed the emergence of a new constellation of Im- perialist Powers, in which the United States is moving toward hegemony of a bloc for the redivision of the world. In this constellation more clearly appears the leading role of France, Japan, and the United States, with Germany and Italy in a subordinate role. What is the evidence that such a constellation is being formed? First of alll, the rapprochement be- tween Japan and the United States. Formerly the Japanesé-American an- tagonism was the decisive factor in the Pacific. But the changing relation of forces has now suddenly brought forth a re-alignment. Among these changes were: the declining power of Britain, and simultaneously the sharpening of her commercial competition with Japan; the rise of the Soviet Districts in China; and the growing success of the Five Year Plan in the Soviet Union. As a consequence, instead of the expected serious collision between Japan and the United States over the Japanese occu- pation of Manchuria, we witnessed the development of the comedy of the League of Nations at Geneva. The League Council was pushed forward by the United St , which followed this up by sending a participant into the Council, thus entering the League for the first time. The League “acts’— but on the basi Pact, using this Pact at the same time as a weapon against the Soviet Union. Great Britain takes the lead in “putting pressure” on Japan to withdraw from Manchuria. Suddenly, Japan, erstwhile ally of Britain, announces that it finds “more sympathy and understanding” from the United States than from the League Council. Britain complains that Stimson has knifed the League in the back, by giving a private assurance to Japan that the U. S, will not insist upon a date for withdrawal. The Japanese press, inspired by the Foreign Office, conducts a sharp agitation against Bri- tain and for the United States. Wash- of the Briand-Kellogg | the face of Japan’s further penetration of Manchuria—an act which shatters traditional American policy in the Far East—and all its accompaniment of bombing of cities and mass slaughter. All these facts lead towards the conclu- sion that an agreement has been reached between the U. S. and Japan for the division of China—at least on the first steps of this division. The entire bourgeois press of France, which means, of course, also the “so- cialist” press, although in different de- grees, has supported Japan openly from the beginning of its Manchurian action. And while, in the League Council, Briand still pretended to a position dis- similar to Washington on the Manchur- jan question, Laval comes to Washing- ton for cordial conversations with Hoover, on “the most burning question of world policy,” without publicly men- tioning Manchuria. The result of the “hard work” in the White House, in the language of the “New York Times,” was “understandings of far-reaching importance.” These agreements are secret. In the words of the “Times”: “There are obviously aspects and results of M. Laval’s visit to Amer- ica which cannot be expressed in of- ficial language. Things of the spirit cannot be crystallized into formulas. It may well prove to be true that, in this case also, the intangibles, the im- ponderables, will be of more lasting value than the specific undertakings.” Tn all the vague documents and pom- pous speeches, which will be and al- ready are interpreted differently by each in accord with its special interests, there is one thing demonstratively em- phasized by both sides—America and France, they and they alone, can no longer even pretend to have a policy to rescue capitalism from its crisis. In addition to these “imponderables” (which means secret agreements cover- ing the big range of world problems necessary for a “general understand”), there was, above all, the immediately published agreement that Germany must come to terms with France, that France is given the support of the U. S. in European affairs. Thus emerges the clear outlines of the new constellation ington displays a calm complacency in.! of world powers. AGAINST WHOM IS THIS CONSTELLATION DIRECTED? The new combination is designed to | smash the socialist industry before the kead the bourgeois front against the rising tide of world revolution. That is clear. It is the resut of the pressure, in conditions of deepening, catastrophic crisis, of the revoutionary upsurge of the masses in the colonies, the threat of revolution in Central Europe, and - par- ticularly of the menace of victorious so- cialist construction in the Soviet Union. It aims to balance European budgets at the cost of reduced unemployment re- lief and social services; to recuperate profits at the cost of slashing wage cuts; to smash with military force from outside, the Red Army and Soviet Dis- tricts in China, which Chiang Kai-shek proved himself incapable of accomplish- ing during six months with 300,000 sol- diers and unlimited military supplies, and to divide China among the Powers; and, before all, to organize a war of in- tervention against the Soviet Union, to completion of the magnificently suc- cessful Five Year Plan. The attack upon the living standards of the masses in Europe and America is already well under way. The division of China has already be- gun with the seizure of Manchuria; the agreement between Japan and the U. S., as well as the continuing contradictions within this agreement, are already shawn within China proper by the coali- tion between the Japanese-directed Canton government and the American- directed Nanking regime. The attack upon the Soviet Union fs launched before the entire world with the cynical “warning” sent by Japan to the Soviet Union against supposed mili- tary movements within the borders of the Soviet Union. It is emphasized by the eagerness with which Washington grasped this issue and is developing it BURSCRIPTION RATES: and Bronx, New York City. Foreign: Ev mail everywhere: One year, $6; six months, 83; twe months, $1: excepting Boro one year, even sharper than is Tokyo. It received an open expression in the We: the canard published in Berlin, by the news- pa “Germania,” that the Soviet Union was preparing to suspend pay- ments on its commercial contracts, a lie obviously connected with the provoca- tive statements made in New York by the owner of “Germania,” Thiessen, and by Cuno and Seimens, who spoke openly of the inclusion of Germany in the anti- Soviet front to “save the system of in- dividualism from the menacing collec- tivist movement.” ‘This, in the face of the fact, known to alll the world, that the Soviet Union is the only country in the world without a crisis, the only country which is promptly payirg ell its bills. Furthermore, due to the unevenness of development as bety ist powers, and the correlation of the power sions of eatch—which ever more p ingly calls for a re-divis‘on of the world among them more in accord with the actual relations of power—there must be an imperialist victim of the new con- stellation. What better occupant for this role could be found than Great Bri- tain, with its enormously swollen col- onial Empire and ¥ts shrin‘ing basi power and mountainous accumulatio of difficulties? quent lack of and posses WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THE BRITISH EMPIRE? The difficult situation of the British Empire was expressed recently in a classical form by a member of its own ruling class. Bertrand Russell, newly- fledged member of the House of Lords of the British Parliament, upon land- ing in New York for a visit, commented upon the future of the world. He de- clared that “in the next ten years,” the Empire willl “separate into its constituent parts and Engand will sink into a country like Holland—if it has luck.” The “luck” spoken of is, ob- viously, a lucky escape from proletarian revolution. Aside, even, of the danger of revolution, it is becoming.an axiom of imperialist policy that th& British Empire must be forced to a position of a second-rate power before the greedy appetites of her imperialist rivals. When the British pound sterling col- lapsed, this historic event registered the depth and intensify of the world crisis of capitalism. At the same time, how- ever, it registered the fact that France and the U. S. were in such a position that they could, by acting together, throw the first and heaviest blow of the financial crisis upon Britain. The dol- lar and the franc preserved their own precarious “stability” at the expense of the pound sterling. This was folllowed up by the Hoover- Laval agreement. What this means to Britain was brutally and cynically ex- pressed by J. P. Morgan’s “New York Evening Post,” in the following words: “The meaning is clear. There is no word about continuing this study (of the question of monetary stability) with the direct cooperation of London, there is no mention of a further talk in which the British might also play a role. There is no indication that Lord Reading’s visit to Paris had any- thing to‘do with the week’s conyersa- tions. In short, New York and Paris will do the stabilizing, not New York, London and Paris.” And further, the general conclusion is reached, that: ““Yesterday’s communique indicates clearly that Mr. Hoover has surren- dered, reluctantly but fully, to the idea that from now on the bargains must be between America and France, with our old beloved Anglo-Saxon friend on the sidelines.” It would be folly, of course, to think that Great Britain is accepting the new course of events without a struggle. On the contrary, she is fighting desperate- ly to maintain her position, her colonial empire, and to expand her foreign mar- kets by the use of high tariffs and dumping. Britain has been doing her best to disrupt the new constellation, by stimulating the appetites of various of its members, Japan in the East, and Germany and Italy in Europe, to make such demands as will be incompatible with agreement with the U. S. and France. When Britain was tricked by the U. S. into developing the deadlock between Japan and the League Council, bargain with Japan behind the back of Britain, the latter, with indecent haste rushed into print through the semi-offi- cial spokesman, “Augur,’ to promise Japan unlimited support’ for all demands “compatible with preserving the dignity of the League.” Especially ,was ex- pressed the desperate determination of the British imperialists to fight to the death, in the panic-stricken “national” coalition, headed by Ramsay MacDon- ald, which wrecked the labor govern- ment and shattered overnight the par- liamentary illusions of the British work- ing class and exposed the bankruptcy of reformism before the whole world. The emergence of the fascist ‘“nation- al” government from the general elec- tions, with its overwhelming parliament- ary majority, expressed the grim deter- mination of the British “die-hard” rul- ing class, headed by MacDonald-Church- ill, to use “force without stint or limit,” high tariffs, and “the biggest navy in the world,” against its own working class, against the colonial masses who are in revolt, against the Soviet Union, and against its imperialist rivals who already in prospect are dividing among themselves the rich booty of a dismem- bered British Empire, DIVISION OF LABOR BETWEEN BORAH AND HOOVER Many persons have been confused by the intervention of Senator Borah in the Hoover-Laval conversations, seeing in this incident an expression of irre- concilable contradictions between France and the U. S. which will prevent an “understanding.” But this is to fail to understand the “division of labor’ that was agreed upon between Hoover and Borah. The latter’s interview with the French newspapermen fitted in quite nicely with the whole scheme. It ex- pressed, on the one hand, by its demand for a revision of the Danzig Corridor, the use of Germany (and Italy) by the U.S. as a counter-balance to France in Europe, which places the limits upon the hegemony of Europe, granted to France by the U. S. This at the same time draws Germany and Italy away from Great Britain, for the latter will find it difficult to dangle before their eyes much more tempting bait than that of- fered by Borah. On the other -hand, Borah definitely revised his previous po- sition in the direction of fitting himself into the scheme of a Franco-American understanding, He pledged support THE UNITY These crystalizing powers “under- standing,” “agreements,” “blocs,” or “consellations” of the imperialist pow- ers, this re-grouping in preparation for the redivision of the world, does not sig- nify in the slightest the abatement of the antagonisms between those powers which are coming together. Quite the contrary. It is the “unity” of a band of robbers, and with the same stability. Precisely in the period when the new basically to the Versailles Treaty, as providing the structure of Europe! he recognized the French right to the un- conditional reparations; he pledged sup- port to cancellation of debts due to the U. S.; he waived all demands for reduc- tion of French aramaments on the con- tinent—on all of which points he wa: reversing the traditional position taken by himself and those whom he repre- sents, the rich agrarians, the Western middle-class, the “progressives” in Con- gress. Borah was the sign of the “united front” of all sections of the bourgeoisie behind the Hoover-Morgan program and a guarantee against factious opposition. At the same time Borah slyly intro- duced a “little” amendment into his de- mand for recognition of the Soviet , Union. He motivated this demand upon the necessity to “disarm” the Soviet Union, which he pictured as a menace to the peace of Europe and of the world because of the existence of the Red Army. Only one more step, and not such a big one, is now required to bring Bo- rah into alignment with the anti-So- viet front. OF BANDITS constellation was forming, there was brought forward in the world’s news most sharply exactly the antagonisms between the U. S. and France, and be- tween the U. S. and Japan This could be compared to the manner in which a group of pirate chieftains, negotiating a joint expedition, would press their re- spective claims to the future division of the spoils before coming to an agree- ment. Or, to use a more polite simile, while the U. S. quietly made a private | g Role of the United States in ng of the Imperialist Powers the compar'son might speak of a group of trusts, about to form a cartel and fighting over the dis i quotas of the monopoliz we should never forget that even dur- ing the imperialist World War, within ach camp the old rivalries and antag- onisms were never even asleep, but this did net make impossible the alliances and blogs. The new constellations are forming under the pressure of the mightiest forces cf capitalist crisis. In the words of the “New York Times” in reporting the conversation between Bruening and Dino Grandi: “The whole range of political and econom'ec world problems... are driy- ing fast toward an ultimate solution one way or ancther.” Under this pressure the imperialist statesmen realize they must “think fast” Today’s decision may determine tomorrow’s alignment in war. The align- ment is being determined on the basis of the deepest, most far-reaching con- tradictions. And these are, first, be- tween the imperialist world and the So- viet Union, and second, ketween the United States and Great Britain. It is this that gives a certain relative “fixedness” to the constellation of pow- ers now being formed. It furnishes the world frame-work within which can be fitted, even if with great difficulties and pains, the main world contradic- tions. It furnishes the starting point from which the strongest imperialist powers and its allies can begin, on the grand scale, their desperate and adven- turous efforts to find a way out of the world crisis of capitalism by crushing the Soviet Union, smashing the colonial revolutions, organizing the preventive counter-revolution in Central Europe, and proceeding to re-divide the world. IN A RACE WITH THE WORLD REVOLUTION History is being speeded up! The im- perialists move feverishly, because they feel the ground burning beneath their feet, they know they are in a race with the forces of revolution all over the world. As background and basis for all the whirlwind of surface events, is the rising upsure of revolutionary struggle of the masses in the fight for life, and the mighty, dizzying tempo of the Five- Year Plan of socialist industrialization and collectivization of the economy of the Ss. ‘et Union which has sounded the death-sentence upon world capitalism. In China the Red Army of workers and peasants has successfully defended the Soviet Districts against the 300,000 strong mercenary armies of Chiang Kai- shek, with all his American money, mu- nitions and arms. The Soviet govern- ment, led by the Chinese Communist Party, is embracing the widest masses in all China. In Germany, the hold of the social- democracy upon the masses is being broken, which means the shattering of the last solid bulwark of capitalism in that country. In England, the sailors of the British fleet, the instrument by which for a century Britannia has ruled the waves, go on strike against the wage-cuts im- posed by a “labor” government. At the same time, for the first time since Chartist days, masses of workers in tens and hundreds of thousands demonstrate on the streets of the industrial cities of England, in violent collisions with the police, protesting the cuts. in wages and “dole.” ' In Latin-America, presidents and gov- ernments topple every few weeks, and the fleet of Chile, one of the few “Pa- cific” powers, is destroyed by a mutiny, suppressed only in blood and terror. And “even” in the United States, the fortress of world capitalism, more than 12 million workers, with their families totalling more than 40 million persons, are without the slightest means of liv- lihood except the miserable crumbs of charity which ‘in most instances are worse than starvation and-death. Even in the United States, we are already be- ginning to witness street demonstra- tions of a hundred thousand workers marching together, uniting Negro and white, native and foreign-born, men and women, in the unbreakable solidarity of a passionate protest against the brutal murderous oppression of the capitalist police, and the starvation, misery and death which is dealt out by a capitalist “civilization” which is now in its death throes. $ Over all is shining the star of the Soviet Union, leader and inspiration of the oppressed of the whole world .Cel- ebrating now its Fourteenth Anniver- sary since, on Noy. 7, 1917, it was es- tablished on the ruits of Czarism and the World War, by the power of the Russian working class led by the Com- munist Party, the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, continuing the policy of Lenin under the unhesitating, 8y JORGE Now, Do You Understand? Sometimes we run across’ workers who don’t quite make out what we niéaii when we say that the pacifists are the béstassiStance to im- perialist. war-makers. Just paste the following in ‘Your ‘fiat and spring it on any who doubt. We quote trom a review published in the N. ¥. ‘Times, NOV. 1, written ‘by Wm. MacDonald, of Frederick Palmer’s book, “Newton D, Baker—America at, War’: “Baker was at first reluctant to acquiesce in the idea of a draft, but he yielded to military arguments and the lesson of England’s experi- ence with voluntary service, and the bill which he assisted in drafting was epted by Wilson without change. i ti: “Colonel Palmer thinks that the.acceptance of the plan by the country andsthe passage of the bill by Congress, were -materiatly aided by Baker's reputation as a pacifist.’? The pacifists are always-against war when there isn’t any war. “But Jet ome come along, and they “reluctantly” support it, and in fact organize it. Incidentally, when, many,jnonths ago, we Communists said that one pf the reasons the Farm Board was created,.was.4g gather a store of supplies for the coming -war.on tne Soviet Union, some folks, in their,“ or” ~wisdom, sniffed at the idea as “ridiculoy Now we see the Farm Board stocking, up _,W . Europe with wheat beyond the need c; other pur- pose than war, and alibin, Germany with the funny yarn that it has -50,000,000;bushels that have “spoiled.” z * . * Al Smith, Payroll-Robber Under the command of Abs§mith, 15,006 door-to-door agents of the.tEmergency Unem- ployment Relief Committee’ are-going to knock at every door in New York City to get enough dough from the workers to pretend that the un- employed will be taken’ care ot<while the rich are allowed to contribute their:sympathy.” Now then, you employed: workers:who are still occupying"a flat, if you have-anyeash you want to give the unemployed, the, neares} Unemployed Council is the place to give it. And when Al Smith’s agent knocks at-your-door,.just remem- ber that .. . and tell °em-straight out. Actually ,of course, Smith is taking no chances. He means to get you, not.only,.at,home, but at your job, also, Get what he can from your wife at home, and get the boss,to rob.your pay-check where you work. are Proof is plenty. Before us‘is-a*letter sent a watch repair company by -J. Ernest Stern, of the Brand-Chatillon Corporation, but also chair- man ofthe Retail Jewelers), Division of Al Smith’s committee. Mr.. Stern is.stern. And with some reason he is also scared about what the jobless will do. He says?’ °> “Unless we all understand!the urgency of the situation, we may be faced with'serlous condi- tions, arising from thousands.who, are on the verge>of desperation, and:-desperate souls do desperate things in order to live~ ‘Therefore, you little employersshould be gen- erous and save us big guys:fromithe cost. How- ever, Mr. Stern and Al Smith ‘suggest a spain to load it all on the workers.» He says: “gach firm and the employees connected therewith are asked to contritmte. It is sug- gested (1) that the employees donate part of their salaries for a period of twenty:weeks.” And woe be to those that don’t! sFurther: “In most instances the contributions WILL BE DEDUCTED FROM PAYROLLS, and the full amount sent with the firm'szcheck.” (Pro- viding the bank isn’t busted, weamight add.) If this isn’t payroll robbery; we-don't know it. ‘And again we say—if youhave angthing to give the unemployed, give it through'the Unemployed Councils, and don’t stand for betng: high-jacked. oe cide Sacae so Amer, Pot, ee) The “Majority” Stoolpigeons Before us is a letter signed by a couple of workers who, under the dew that they might hear “something different” “ot? thé role of the Communist Party of Great Britaifi in the recent election, went to listen to-the speech of Love- stone the renegade, on October 80: ‘They heard something different, all tight, and relate it as follows: “ “One of the questions asked was: “Why did not the Communist Party pufsup-morte candidates for election?’ capalihs “The answer was: ‘Wheh a’tifididate runs for office he must post 150 pourids (about $600 at present rates), and if he does*ndt receive a cer~ tain number of votes he loses’the'mioney he post- ed. Now, as we all know it is hard for a working- class organization to post ponéy,"T'am sure that many 150 pounds were lost," éy did not re- ceive the necessary votes} money they lost was not Eni cow gold.” arte also stated” very impressively: ‘I don’t want this statement to go-out of the hall’” Which is nice! After springing a lie like that, one made to order by the’ Fish Committee, to observe “caution”: ‘Don't let this get any fur- ther than the Department of ‘Sustice and Scot- land Yard!” OM She ‘The two workers naturally Oberle that: “This statement that Lovestone“made 1s cx- actly the same that was“itiad’ by Winstan Churchill, and by Lord Northeifit-when he was alive, and also by Knickerbocker*in the N. Y. Evening Fest\” pang cissangnee ‘And, we might add, Fathéel’ walsh, Mr. Djam~- garoff, Grover Whalen, Mattie" won and Ham- ilton J. Fish. ‘gold, but Mos- * iron leadership of S! building the & foundations of socialism, overtaking and surpassing the capitalist economy, col- lectivizing agriculture’ in’‘the greatest / economic revolution, thé World has ev seen, abolishing unemployment, bring ing security, knowledge,culture and hu- man dignity to 160 million people, stand- ing today and the leader and‘inspiration of the oppressed world, "°°" The imperialists anizing war on our socialist fatherland!:. We must organize class war against the war-makers, class’ Wai against the wage-cutters and the’ staryers of the masses, the war of..the poor and op- pressed against the rich and oppress , the war for Soviet America} . u) Sera aie rs ‘ igh vbanyd