The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-03-26

The sum and substance of the
situation is, that Macdonald carries
his pacifism in the same pocket as
Lloyd George carried his, and uses
pacifist and socialist phrases in ex-
actly the same manner, for exactly
the same ends, for nationalism and
imperialism. He conceded to the
pressure of the Admiralty when he
appointed the old conservative Lord
Chelmsford to the Admiralty, ne
submits to the Admiralty and it's
navalism when its programs are put
up, and hides his concessions under
the cover Of alternating unemploy-
ment and the unpreparedness of
other countries to come to an agree
ment on disarmament. All Of which
of course is good liberalism, but
poor pacifism, much less good work
ing class policy. Having said A
in the alphabet Of imperialism he
is having to say B and G very
quickly.
The rank and file Of the Labor
Party are perceiving this and it was
only strict loyalty to the party dis
cipline that got the major portion
of the votes on Thursday night.
They can see that so far as the
workers are concerned the same Off
Ger class is in control, the same
class is in power, they are doing
what. even the Tories want them to
do, and they are wondering whore
they are getting to.
1t is too early to see how the
storm in the Party is going to de-
velop, there is so much that is in
stinctive class revolt without politi-
cal clarity amongst the cleft" forces
that there will probably be series
of crises before new leadership is
definitely established. Wheatley was
certainly the man who could have
led them, but his membership of
the cabinet rules him out for the
present. Now there is established
a Party leadership in the House as
distinct from the government. On
this committee are Smillies, Lans-
bury, Wallhead, all of whom are GER
tainly anti-militarist and repeatedly
thrown into class war situations but
are so influenced by the personality
of Macdonald and the idea Of Party
unity that they cannot be relied
upon in q critical situation to throw
Macdonald overheard. Maxton and
johnson are not big enough to take
the lead whilst Neil MacLean has
so compromised himself with Mac
Donald on the question of his non
appearance in the cabinet that he
cannot do anything. Wheatley is
gaining ground considerably against
Macdonald On every question
where the Labor Government is
compromising itself Macdonald is
held to blame. On practically every
question where there is anything
being gained in the way of conces-
sions Wheatley is getting consider
able Of the credit. That is the most
that can be said concerning the
leading personalities in the parlia-
mentary situation at the moment.
Workers Criticism Growing.
Outside the parliament amongst
the workers, the voice of criticism
of the Labor Government is gather
ing in strength every day. The
tendency at first manifest even in
the Communist Party to wait and
see and deal gently with the inno-
walton is rapidly vanishing. Tho
publication Of the manifesto of the
Communist international on Com
mupist policy towards the Labor
Government has come as a healthy
tonic to the revolutionary movement
thruout the country. It's publication
this week comedies with the press
announcement that naval ratings be
used as blacklegs in the lockers
strike, of the Labor Party storm
on cruiser building, and the wran-
Cling tactics of the new ministry of
labor This week has not been a
healthy week for the Labor Gov
eminent so far as the working class
is concerned, but it has certainly
been a great week for driving home
the revolutionary message amongst
the workers.