The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1927-08-12
ELEMENTS OF POLITICAL EDU-
CATION
Continued from last week)
1. WHAT WERE THE CAUSES OF THE I'M
PERIALIST WAR OF 1a1A-1e18?


big capitalist countries of Europe CHIEFLY Eng
land and France on the one hand, and Germany
on the other). These countries were unable to
decide by peaceful" means their conflict over the
division amongst themselves of the fields for ex-
ploitation of the colonial and semi-colonia coun-
tries, and also the conflict over the division of the
coal and iron riches of Central Europe, and there
fore took to their well-tried ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In the epoch OF Imperialism, free competition
between individual capitalists is substituted BY
capitalist monopoly In the basic branches of indus
try, IN banking, and in big commerce. The indi-
vldua capitalist gives way to the capitalist ALI
ance (syndlcates and trusts Whole branches OF
industry are united IN the hands of a few firms,
or even OF one firm. The struggle of the separ
ate capitalists with one another in the chief cap
tahst countries IS supplanted by the struggle of
capitalist alliances among themselves.
Monopolst alliances ii. e. alliances, holding the
control OF one or another branch of industry sole
y in their hands, do not stop in their competition
at the boundaries of the state On the one hand
thel grow out into international alliances, and on
the other they carry their competition out beyond
the borders of the national state into the broad
arena of international struggle Banking capital
IN It's turn, is accumulated in the biggest banks
which become concentrated more and more into a
smaller number of hands. 1t permeates monopo-
lized industry and takes part in its management
and control On the other hand, industrial capital
permeates the sphere of the banks. The rule over
the economy OF one or another country, of a small
number of closely united monopolist lords of big
industry and the banks, begins A few hundred
kings of the banks and trusts, the financial and
industrial olgarchy, rule over world economy. In
the epoch of monopolstic capitalism, high protec-
/
the capitalist states to insure super-profis on the
domestic markets, and to make more difficult or
completely impossible the competition of imperial
list rivals in the colonial countries.
This highest stage of the expansion of capital
ism manifests itself also as the highest stage of
the sharpening of all the contradictions of the
ltallst system. 1t gives rise to continually great
er and sharper social political and economic crises
and catastrophes, in view of the fact that in the
epoch OF Imperialism the struggle for the sub
4 terrannean rlches-coal iron and oil, grows more
acute IN Europe itself well as in the colonies;
and the world market becomes an arenal of un-
interrupted rivalry of the capitalist groups of the
different states.
As result of these conflicts, along with the
5 previous smaller wars, cane the war of 1914
1918
The role of the industrial and financial alliances
as the culprts for the world conflicts IS at the
c present time clear, that it is not denied bv
such an outspoken representative of the hour
geolsle as the former premier and minister of fin
ances of France, Caillaux, who in his book. 'sWbere
Is Europe Going?" proves that the chief culprits
Tor the world war were the national and interrna.
Ilonal trusts, syndicates and cartes who stubsti
Cuted Tor the struggle between separate capitalists
the national and governmental conflicts which
made war between the nations inevitable.
2 WHAT WERE THE GENERAL CONSE
QUENCES OF THE WAR?
The war lasted more than four years. Clever
million men of the best working age were DESTROY
ed. The accumulation OF values in Europe almost
ceased
Before the war, the national wealth. i e. the
total property of all citizens and states TAKING
part IN the war, was figured at approximately zoo
billion dollars. The yearly income of these conn
trles' l. e. the quantity of goods produced bv then
amounted to 100 billion dollars. And the war an
minated one-haf of the national wealth, j. e. 3e(
Dllnon dollars. The war expenses, of course. were
covered first of all by the current income during
1he Time OF the war. But if we consider that the
na'lonal income OF each country was curtailed al
iedS1 Dy one-tmrd as result of the tremendous
INVERSION Oh working hands, and say that the
l1J AA'~oAuC VI oil the countries became 70 bill.
non dollars; If besides this we consider that the
non-mlltary expenses during the time of wa,
swallowed up one half, then we see that the cur.
rent income was able to cover the war expenses
only to the extent of 35 billions dollars each wear
For the four years of war this makes 14O b;lior
dollars Ii the war annihilated 800 billion dollars
OF national wealth, and this loss was covered only
to the extent of $50 billion then it follows that
tne z2O billion lacking had to be taken from the
paste capital of the warning countries
mus after the war the total property of the
warning countries European, of course) was no
longer 72O billion dollars, but 500 billion. The
dropping of such substantial sum from the basic
economic apparatus of the warning countries leads
20 the fact that the economy itself became unset
tled' less stable, and more susceptible to crisesl
According to the calculations of such an auth
orley on the question as Caillaux, as a result of
Inc world war the debts of all the capitalist coun-
er!es winch on the eve of the war amounted to 22O
lIlaIu francs, grew to 1900 milliard francs, l. e.
grew by 1900 milliard francs which were expend-
eu exclusively on destruction zone may Judge of
me size OF this sum-" observes Caillaux "by the
acC that the total profits of all the enterprises on
the globe are considerably less than this colossal
ugufe-l5OO milliard francs" The average inter-
est payable QOVernnpopf 1oovc roca from nor