The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-08-26
Continued From Last Issue)

mite of the Communist International
on May %, 1927. 1t gives the official
Communist viewpoint on this impor-
tant question.
In Central Asia, in Afghanistan,
Persia, in the Near East, in Turkey
and in the Far East the evil arm of
British imperialism is weaving a net
work of complicated intrigues against
the Soviet Union. British diplomacy
is striving to utilize the International
Economic Conference for the purpose
of establishing an economic blockade
of the Soviet Union. simultaneously
feverish preparations for war are being
made in the countries contiguous to
the U. S. S. R., particularly in Poland
and Roumania.
Strengthening the Rear for War.
TO- Since the last Enlarged Plenum
of the E. c. G. l., events have oc-
cured in d number of countries which
/ give an extreme illustration of the
atmosphere of war preparations in
which all the big capitalist countries
now exist. In all capitalist countries
we now witness increased reaction,
the Notwithstanding to a greater or
less degree of terrorist fascist meth
DDS Of suppressing the working class.
/ Domestic reaction marches in step
with foreign aggression. In order to
be able to conduct war, capitalism
must have "peace" in the rear. The
nature of modern warfare demands
in addition to masses of men at the
front an. enormous industrial army to
4 feed the gigantic war machine. These
4 men must become mere cogs in its
machine, they must be deprived of all
will to fight, their trade Unions must
be converted into the principal levers
for setting the whole mechanism of
the war into motion. This gives rise
to the attempts to "nationalize" and
militarize the trade unions and to de-
prive them of the elementary rights
they have won by decades of stubborn
fighting.
4 II. Here attention must first of all
be drawn to Great Britain, which, at
the present time, stands at the head
of world reaction. BY its suppression
of the miners strike, British capital
ism has given the signal for the of
fensive to the whole international
bourgeoisie, The war in China, the
attack against the Soviet Union, the
attack upon Nicaragua and the de-
feat of the British miners are all links
in the one chain. In Great Britain
the right to strike is practically being
destroyed. The anti-trade union bill
deprives the proletariat in the event
of war, not only of the weapon of the
General Strike against war, but of the
weapon of the strike as whole. Th'
government may declare illegal any
strike, even in peace time.
In Italy, in an atmosphere of saw
age terror against the working class
naturalization" of the trade unions
which in reality is tantamount to com
plete liquidation of the Independent
class organizations of the toiline
masses, is being carried out with thu
5 support. of the reformist leaders
| (D'Aragona and Coz. Before ou
t very eyes, Italian fascism is doing
. what the bourgeoisie did not dare tt
t do during the world war. The prac
: tice of social peace" is being carried
to its logical conclusion
, Finally, in France, the "Armed Ma
; ton" law has been passed, the es
| e -,rhsoI &c, ,cf1 fay
. ization penetrating every pore of pc
litical and economic life Accoring t.
,. this law, in the event of war the en-
S tire population regardless of age o
sex will be modified at home as wei
as in the colonies. The workers in tn
n factories will be converted into sol
f diers; the trade unions and all othe
S associations will be militarized; tn
e right to strike will be abolished. Any
d one who takes part in strike is liabl
to be court-martialled.
o In Japan schools are militarized an
!. penalties against strikes introduce
: in the event Of war.
n Germany abolishes one of tn
: achievements of the German revolu
y tion-the eight-hour day; new legis
lation is being contemplated agains
strikes. The fascists are gradual
: penetrating the state and administra
Y tive apparatus.
t In Poland the methods of the reac
g tionaries used against the worxin
/. class surpass any of the methods 0
i the former tsarist regime. The ma
It tional organizations of the White Rus
: slams and of other national minoritie
l. are being destroyed. BY means @
e bribery and corruption Pilsudski'
/ agencies are established whose bus
It ness it is to secure rear among tn
: national minorities" for the wa
n against the U. S. S. r.
, Similar methods are employed b
u Roumania to strengthen its rear i
= Bessarabia.
= All these measures are but link
- in the chain of the war mobilizatio
~ ,,la,1