The daily worker., 1924-11-07
significance of the 1924 British Elections

I Treaty is based upon the acceptance
Of the Dawes plan by the British i'm
perialists. To carry out the Dawes
plan and secure reparations it is OBJ
vious that they are anxious to be
able to compete effectively and at the
same time to be safeguarded against
the competition. The latter part of
the scheme won't stand great deal
of examination but the question of
competition and the relation Of the
Russian Treaty thereto is all import
ant for different reasons to those put
forward by Baldwin.
For example, we should require to
be credulous to thing that British
capitalists are prepared to hand over
any market to a competitor. Even
Baldwin's Limited are not so generous
if their recent completion of a e70,O
order from Russia is anything to go
by. The argument that the geographi-
cal and linguistic factor is against
Britain is too funny for words. If the
Russian market is to be handed to
Germany because they are neighbors.
why not China to the Japs and South
America to the United States. AS for
language, is Chinese easier for the
poor Britisher to learn than Russian?
The Russian Market.
| think we must go a little deeper
than these specious reasons. When all
allowance is made for the hatred Of
the Bolsheviks there is not the least
shadow of doubt that when the Brit
ish capitalists see their competitors
rushing into the Russian market, they
will not be far behind. A comparison
of the trade they have already made
with Russia and the trade made by
their competitors with Russia since
the revolution will prove that. But the
fact of the matter is, both British and
foreign capitalists do not want to aid
the Bolsheviks of Russia at all and
will only develop in that direction ac-
cordingly to the pressure of circum-
stances. A further factor must be
taken into account and that is, the
British capitalists have got first Of
fers and hold favorable position in
relation to their competitors for the
Russian market.
But these offers are not altogether
timely when placed in relation to the
competitive factors operating in the
world market especially with the
Dawes plan holding premier position
in the capitalist plan of campaign.
They know as well as we that the
placing of orders to the tune of thirty
million pounds would have a decided
effect upon unemployment and upon
the workers generally. They know
that Immediately there is the slightest
sign of revival of trade it is the sig
nal for the workers to make demands
for recovery of their losses, for
wage Improvements, etc. To get such
demands at the time when all the other
conditions of the market arising
from the application of the Dawes
report are insisting upon reductions
Of wages and the lengthening of the
working day and week would be fatal
to their policy Of the conquest of the
world market.
Behind The Screen.
The opposition to the Russian
Treaty is therefore, more than an an
ti-Bolshevik campaign and is based
upon a planned offensive against the
workers of Britain to bring their con-
ditions down to competitive levels es-
tablished in Germany. Until that has
been accomplished there will be no
means enabling the placing of large
orders from Russia.
This conclusion is forced upon us
by the general preparation going on
thruout industry for this offensive.
Hichens, a chairman of CammeIl
Lairds, stated frankly to the |. L. P.
summer school that "The main cause
of the present trade depression lay
in conditions outside the control of
Britain-in European unrest, in the
poverty Of other nations due to the
war, in foreign rivalries and competi-
tion. AS temporary measure
to meet this situation, believe it is
inevitable that real wages in this coun-