The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-07-24

selves in many cases, would not NEAR
a strengthening of militarism. These
misgivings are not well-founded
however. 1t is correct that the new
military reforms in their totality
lead to strengthening of militar.
ism, but the reduction of the service
period in itself is always a point
weakening the military system Of
the respective capitalist country
1t is fact that the military special
lists everywhere re the reduction
of the term of military service.
Only when there is involved such
hired army as the German Reichs.
wehr, where the service period under
the term of the Versailles Treaty
lasts a total of IL years, the reduc-
ton, e. g.. to six years would double
the possible mum bers in the
thoroughly trained, politically reli-
able military cadres and would
thereby mean the indirect strength
ening of the military system. But
also in this case, the point of the
reduction of the service period, taken
by itself, in no way signifies the
strengthening of the military sys-
tenn, because in IL years the soldier
can be trained much more thorough
ly and more manifoldly in military
crafts, and can be much more COM
pletely alienated from the working
masses, than in six years.
The reduction of the service period
in countries with universal military
service is in itself not to be looked
upon as a means of strengthening
militarism, but as a concession which
the capitalist governments will enter
upon because the disadvantage of the
reduction of the service period is
made up by other great advantages
in the new military reforms, such
as the militarization of the schools
and social organizations and above
all, in the creation of powerful
cadre of politically reliable and ex-
pertly high-skilled professional sol
diers, support and governmentaliza-
ton of the fascist organizations, etc
That is why side by side with the
demand for the reduction of the SER
vice period we must resolutely COM
bat all these reactionary measures
which actually lead to a strengthen
ing of militarism.
League Corrected Boycott" Slogan
THE slogan for the boycott of the
American Citizens Military Train
ing Camps was corrected as mis-
take by the Central Committee of
the Young Communist League itself
because such a boycott would have
meant refraining from the disinte-
grafton of this organization and
thereby a strengthening of imperi-
alism.
The War Theses of the VIII Plen-
UNI put, as a concrete task for the
combating of war, the "concentra-
ton of the attention of the Commun-
list Parties upon activity in the trade
unions, especially among the metal
workers, miners, transport workers
and the workers in chemical indus
tries"
Must Concretize Work.
The more concretely one ap-
breaches the practical forms Of COM
batting war, the more clearly is
shown the Importance of this de-
mand. But the practical work ir
combating war makes necessary ar
even furthergoing concentration in
the same direction. What is involved
here is to transfer our attention to
certain factories and definite geog-
raphical points.
Many examples in the experiences
in anti-militarist work show how
important it is to have organs of
the Party at certain geographical
points. This anti-militarist work is
relatively much weaker in the
French navy than in the army, which
is quite correctly ascribed to the
fact that the French Party is very
weak in the respective harbor towns
American League Difficulty.
IN "a report on the militarist
work of the American Y. c. L., it
is stated that the campaign against
the sending of troops to China was
unsuccessful on the western coast
of America, because the league had
no members in San Diego, the naval
base.
1t is time that the leading organs
of the Parties concerned themselves
not only with the numerical
strengthening Of the Party and itr
influences, but that, much more thar
heretofore. they are influenced by
the territorial viewpoint. This view
point plays an important role not
only In the struggle against the war
but in every revolutionary struggle
Work Among Soldiers and Sailors
The Communist Parties are active
everywhere, where there are toilers.