The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-06-28

OSAAhAAiNo tllC pOllSy VI Vic NhlCS
powers is the necessity which each
feels of appearing in a non-aggres-
sive role and so maneuvering as to
place the blame for the continuance
of the fight for supremacy upon one
or the other, or both, of its rivals.
The confusion which appears in
the reports of the attitude of the
three powers is really due to the fact
that both America and Great Britain
are trying either to neutralize Japan
or to form some sort of an alliance
with her.
WHAT we mean, can be made clear
" easily. The preliminary reports
of the conference pictured Great
Britain and Japan as already in
agreement. One correspondent even
noted the fact that their delegates
had monopolized well-known hotel
and limited at a revival of the Anglo
Japanese alliance.
1t seems that the British delegation
itself had some such idea in mind as
the opening speech of First Lord of
the Admiralty Bridgman was almost
in the nature of an ultimatum to the
United States. The safety of the
empire" was the high note of the
Bridgman statement and The New
Times correspondent says that it re-
suited in cold chill" sweeping thru
the room-the inference being that
the bad Britishers had upset the
peaceful plans of the American dele
cation.
THE doughty Admiral Jones was al
lowed to reply for America. He
spoke very frankly and cited the need
of America for the security of trade
routes by which such commodities as
rubber (of which Great Britain has a
practical monopoly and for which
America is the greatest market).
The whole tone of this discussion
was so sharp that the capitalist press
correspondents could not tone it
down sufficiently to alter its sinister
character
Then came the British demand for
a reconsideration of the decisions of
the Washington conferences and the
harsh and repeated refusal of the
American delegates to discuss this
question.
Japan also made proposals which
= the American delegation would not
accept, but which were not dealt with
in the harsh tone reserved for COM
ment upon the British proposals.
Then the difference in the attitude
toward Great Britain and Japan be-
came clear with the broaching of the
project for an agreement between
Japan and America guaranteeing
peace in the Pacific" This conceded
with a renewal of the diplomatic de-
nunciation of the British proposal for
discussing the question of capital
ships (battleships( which the Ameri-
can delegation holds was settled by
the Washington conference.
IN all these interchanges of opinion
a the line of the American delega-
tions is to stress the naval inferiority
Of America and there can be little
doubt that the uncritical reader of
Geneva dispatches in the American
press will have received the impress
sion that peaceful America, with a
navy composed mostly of obsolete
ships armed with guns of inferior
range, is a lamb among imperialist
wolves.
What the exact strength and status
of the American navy is, is not known
to us. We say so frankly, but we
believe that we are no more ignorant
on this subject than are the facile
capitalist correspondents every
one else except the naval experts.
OUR opinion is that the American
v navy is far from being as weak as
the experts say it is, but that it is
by no means as invincible as the
vociferous patriots proclaim. What
ever its strength the events at
Geneva clearly indicate that it will
be much stronger in the not far dis
lanC luIure.
American imperialism is engaged
in a world "peace offensive" 1t
aims to point out first, and has al
ready succeeded, that Great Britain
is the chief imperiaist rival, second
that the British navy is threat to
America, third that the American
navy is too weak to protect" Ameri-
can interests, fourth, that the mill
tarist spirit of Great Britain is the
only obstacle to progressive dis
armament and fifth, that in spite of
her peaceful" intentions America
must have substantially larger
navy for defense"
NOWHERE is mentioned the strug-
!" gle for domination of China ex-
cept in passing. One Japanese dele
gate had a moment Of complete
frankness. Discussing the value of
older types Of war vessels, the jap
anese delegate stated that they are
all right TO send TO Shanghai" but
were unfit for more serious needs.
The more serious needs are those