The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-08-30
By GEORG (Berlin)

The answers or the governments
to the United States have all been
despatched, so that all may arm
themselves for the ceremonious
signing of the "Treaty to Outlaw
War" in Paris.
This treaty to outlaw war has
rather involved and long history.
On the alleged suggestions of Amer
nan pacifists, the French minister
for foreign affairs, BRAND, in June
of last year made the proposal to
the Washington government to con-
clude a reciprocal Franco-American
pact of permanent peace. BRAND
thought by such gesture to gain
the goodwill of American creditors
and perhaps also a rearguard
against England, and to make
cheap pacifist show in order to
weaken in Geneva the impression of
French sabotage of disarmament.
To this Kellogg replied in the name
of the United States government
with a counter-proposal that
Treaty for Perpetual Peace"
should be arranged not merely be-
tween France and the United
State, but between the United
States and the five other big capt.
talist powers. The American pro-
posal was not merely a pacifist ges-
ture as election propaganda for the
republican party in office. Dollar
imperialism went much farther and
undertook an attack on the organi-
cation and alliance systems of the
other powers. The thrust was di-
rected, on the one hand, against the
League of Nations, which Great
Britain is manipulating for its pol
icy of power, and, on the other
hand, against the network of
French alliances. The United
States proposed the formation of a
new system, the center of gravity of
which should lie in the United
States. The dollar government was
to become the supreme judge in
every conflict.
France, caught in its own net of
pacifist hypocrisy and out-maneuv-
cred by Washington, responded
with list of conditions and reser-
vations, due regard for which was
stated to be an essential prelimin-
airy to its signing treaty. The
sense of the French reservations
was as follows: France can re-
nounce neither its military alliances
nor the support of the League of
Nations. France will sign no treaty
by means of which the United
States can forbid it to enter into a
war. For this reason, BRAND with
drew behind the formula "Right of
Defense; furthermore, the war OBJ
legations arising out of the Con-
venant of the League of Nations,
the Treaty of Locarno and the vari-
Gus French military alliances were
not to be influenced by the pro-
posed treaty.
This exposure on the part of
France of its own "pacifism" was
very opportune for the Washington
government. Over the head of the
Paris gov Vtnment it now appealed
to all the big capitalist powers for
their support of the pact. In doing
so, the United States counted upon
the possibility of playing the pow
ers off against one another.
In view of the paramount con-
fhct between England and Amer
lea, the English government en-
deavored from that moment to
bring about a united front. of all
the powers against the United
states. In the negotiations now be-
ginning with France the Anglo.
French front has actually come into
being. In order 70 gain the support
OF France against Washington, the
London government adopted Bri-
and's reservations and supplement
ed them with the particular Eng
lish demand that America should
recognize as Special English
spheres of influence" certain parts
of the world, such as Egypt, Arabia,
the Persian Gulf, i.e., should grant
England a guarantee equal in
value to the American Monroe Doc
trine.
In it's answer Washington either
passed over the French and English
reservations in silence or refused to
include them in the text of the
treaty. The original American
draft waa retained, although Eek
planationa" were offered, not, how
ever, to - Incorporated in the
treaty and, consequently, not legally
binding.
This trump card played by dollar
Imperialism caused England and