The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-02-16
CURRENT EVENTS
By t. J. o'FLAHERTY

4 OOL1DNE = pACOo a6NASS ~N
~ Great Britain and Japan throw
fits Of delirious joy over the proposal
to hold a conference for the reduction
of naval armament. Both powers
would accept. France only, was the
emery dust in the machinery. But
now, after a few days we don't find
a single power willing to scrap sim
gle hulk. Japan makes it clear that
the British base in Singapore and
the Japanese exclusion law in the
United States render it incumbent on
the Mikado's government to maintain
the navy at it's present strength.
Great Britain is bordering" over
a reply, but one need not wait Tor the
publication of the British communica-
ton to form an opinion as to what
that reply will be. Britain will not
reduce her navy voluntarily. She
needs her warships to prevent other
powers from grabbing her loot. She
needs them to carry on hostile ex-
petitions against people like the
Chinese, the Egyptians and the Hin
docs. She needs them to preserve the
empire.
Why does Coolidge want to call a
halt on the naval building? Is 1t be-
cause he loves peace for. the sake OF
peace? Is it because he is opposed
to the settlement of international
questions by the use of force? The
answer to this question can be found
in his attitude towards Mexico,
Nicaragua and China. Coolidge is
making tax reduction the keystone of
the arch on which he hopes to sup
port his candidacy for reelection.
Warships are costly. The capitalists
don't like to pay taxes even for bat
tleships. To them weapons Of de-
tense are a necessary evil. The big
navy" politicians are singing the song
Of the lobbyists for the munition
manufacturers, the shipbuilders and
the steel magnatee.
The sea power of one nation can
only be measured in relation to the
sea power of another nation or pos
sible combination of potentially hos
tile powers. If the United States had
only ten battleships while England,
France and Japan had eight, Wal
street would be as potent on the s. 2
as If the United States had 40 Against
80 for England, France and Japan.
What Coolidge is cunning for is a
reduction of naval costs while still
maintaining American naval strength
at the point considered effective for
the defense of the imperialist inter-
ests of our ruling classes. This is
not a peace move. 1t is move to
reduce the tax burden that inks the
capitalists. Every penny saved for
those lads is a penny that can be
spent on the Paris boulevards. "CaP'
knows what he is about but we doubt
if he will ever be able to dig up
enough impudenee to campaign for
reelection under the slogan: Il kept
you out of war"
DRINCESS Punyna of Poland, a
L member of the chamber Of depu-
ties, wants the chamber to protest
against the persecution of catholics
in Mexico" Most of the deputies re-
fused to have anything to do with the
princess's protest, being quite taken
up with their own struggle to save
their necks from the Pilsudski hang
men who are in danger of getting
muscle-bound if they are not kept in
training. The Polish chamber of
deputies rejected a report made by
one of Pilsudski's ministers but "Pil'
paid no attention to them. One of
those days, a cavalry brigade will
ride into the chamber and ride the
deputies out. Under such conditions
it is not surprising that the deputies