The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-10-01
COST OF US.
ARMED FORCE
IN CHINA BIG
100000 a Month Is
Boast of Editor
By JAMES Il. DoLsEN.

N|AANAAN OAASAAl oCpLt aJt - hbulCdlS
have repeatedly charged that the
RHyies OF the Great Powers are weap-
ons employed to protect the capital
lists of one nation IN their exploita-
ton Of peoples of another country,
particularly of the so-called "back-
ward" lands. This contention is again
proven correct by an editorial in the
Orient, a Shanghai Journal publish
ed 'in the interests Of the United
States Military and Naval Forces"
The statement emphasizes the great
stake which traders in the Orient.
Europeans as well as Americans.
have On the continued presence In
tnose waters OF such great fleets.
Fleet lnsures lmperlsIIst Profits.
did you ever hear Of an insurance
company that paid you a nice fat
monthly premium for the privilege OF
insuring your" is the editors open.
ing remark.
That Is a new light In which Far
Eastern merchants and businessmen
might well regard the American de-
Tense forces in the Orient" he con-
tinues.
100000 a Month.
Three million of Uncle Sans good
gold dollars every one of the twelve
months in the yeari
Aside from giving American inter.
ests out here better protection than Is
AFFORDED by the most liberal insur.
ance policy ever written in that they
prevent losses whereas the insurance
companies only make good on them.
this is the monthly premium paid out
by the three arms OF the service in
the Far East.
How II Is Spent.
"omcial estimates Just gathered bv
The Orient place the combined nav.
rolls OF the Asiatic Fleet, Legation
Guards, 10Th Infantry Cat Tentsin)
and the army contingents in the
philippines at 100000 a month,
virtually all of which is spent right
mere where it is paid out" He de-.
clares there are approximately $500
officers and men in the Asiatic fleet
Win slightly more than that many in
the Philippine detachments. more
than 1000 at Tientsin, and another
300 at Peking."
The monthly payroll Of the active
vessels of the Asiatic fleet, according
TO these figures. is placed at 1921 .OoC
(gold) monthly. In addition TO this
huge amount there are heavy nav.
rolls handed out monthly at Cavite
and Olongapo (navaI bases in the
Ph1iippfnes), where hundreds of men
are employed. many of them skilled
mechanics drawing top wages. to,
gether with crews of yard craft and
other auxiliary vessels. The army
payrolls account for the tremendous
balance, but in the total there has not
been included the wages of the OH,
GERS and men of either the Philip.
pine Scouts or the Philippine Con.
stabulary, which would carry Uncle
SANS military payroll in the Orient
much higher still.
Benefits Business.
There is hardly a class Of busj.
nessman along the China coast. in
the up-river cities, in Japan, or in
the Philippines who does not benefit
directly or indirectly and draw has
share Of this big premium"
Besides the payroll, the>American
Asiatic fleet expends monthly with
ships chendlers and provision mer.
chants of the Orient 100000 (gold)
and turns over to oil companies SEQ.
900 (gold) for fuel oil. In addition 10
all the above, the United States navy
department is now preparing to start
the construction at the Kiangnan
Dock & Engineering company, at
Shanghai, Of six new gunboats for the
Yangtze patrol at cost of no less
than $4,20O,O0O (gold."
They All Do Il.
/ What is true of the American fleet
in the Orient is similarly true of the
British and the Japanese fleets. The
business Of supplying the thousands
OF sailors thus employed with the ne.
cessities Of life and the other local
ly supplied needs of such armadas Ia
an enormously profitable capitalist
enterprise. The groups engaged in
such trade are a powerful reinforce
ment to the mighty international
financial magnates whose needs die.
tate the policies of America, Great
Britain and Japan in such countries
as China