The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-01-25
SPARKS
from the
N E w S

THE American Communists have
for some time been emphasizing
the increasing menace of the war
danger. One of the worst enemies of
the American workers in the fight
against the war danger is the pacifist
and his deadly propaganda.
The other day Rear Admiral Charles
Plunkett, commander of the Brook
| lyn Navy Yard, told his friends in
the National Republican Club a Sc
cret that will be heard round the
world. He said: Another war is in
evitable, as long as our commercial
and industrial expansion continues and
our foreign trade increases in volume
and extent against that of competing
nations. Efficiency in business, too
damned much of it, perhaps, has
brought us wealth, which is exactly
the reason why we are in danger of
conflict today. We hold command
ing position in world trade and we
are going to keep it. We need navy
equal to that of any other power.
We have our choice of creating one
or of submitting to bullying and
dragging our heritage of honor in
the muck, crawling along on our belly
like worm and doing our best to
play safe"
This is vulgarization of some of
the truths that we have been repeat
ing to the American workers in re-
cent months.
Congressman LaGuardia, who has
in the past received the endorsement
of the socialist party and who is
good standing republican, told the adj
miral that he was talking nonsense
and that it was impossible to conceive
of a war between England and
America.
LaGuardia, in one respect, is q
worse enemy of the workers and ex-
plotted farmers than Plunkett. Even
the politically backward American
workers can detect the dangers in
Plunkett's promises but they cannot
yet see the insidious poison in La
Guardia's illusions. Besides La
Guardia, like the rest of the pacifists,
will as much remain pacifist during
the war that is on the way as he and
his coterie did in the last imperialist
war.
, Pacifism only serves to blind and
, mislead the workers. Pacifism is in
the last resort an ally of imperialism.
, Captain "Comrade" LaGuardia had
better keep such advice for himself.
The workers will heed Plunkett's
words. But they can do so effec-
lively ard profitably only if they mo-
bilize to declare war and to fight
war against imperialist war.
THE Filipinos are awakening to q
sorry fact. They have been spend
ing hundreds of thousands of dollars
sending their nationalist representa-
tives to Washington. Quezon, Os-
mena, Roxas and Gueverra and such
others, have been lavishly entertain
: ing and almost as lavishly been en-
tertained in Washington at the ex-
pense of the Filipino workers and
i farmers. These gentlemen thought
that in this way they could get con-
: cessions from the American govern
( ment.
7 For some time they were fighting
against General Woods cavalry cab
: met" Woods died. The Filipinos
| L -. - ,.aIfof Tho thoxr nv
S pressed sorrow. Colonel Stimson, the
2 "pacifier" of Nicaragua, was then sent
|. in to work to take Woods place. For
: moment, the leading nationalist
5 leaders, whose lickspittle attitude
!. towards American imperialism often
t borders on the lire beyond disgust,
had illusions about Stimson. They
thought that their sycophantic kow-
towing attitude had at last brought
them reward.
, And reward it was, for, tho Woods
! is gone, his cavalry cabinet remains.
Brigadier General Halsted Dorey is
$ going back to the Philippines to help
Stimson and to hurt the Filipinos.
On this basis the Filipino Senator
:. Quirino says: "The worst is yet to
come"
There is only one way in which the
s worst can be avoided for the Fill
\ pinos. The Filipino workers must as
: sumo the leadership, must become the
i backbone of the movement against
S American imperialism. They must
e clean out the corrupt elements now
n heading the Filipino struggle for in
: dependence from Wall Street. If
e Quezon and Osmena won't fight Wall
t Street, then they should be fought to
e finish and cleaned out. Things ara
bad enough for the Filipinos at pres
: ent. There is no reason why the worst
should come