The daily worker., 1929-07-26

! INV IliS4lis
The adoption of a uniform attitude
towards the army in principle, does
not mean that the important differ
ences in the systems of defense and
military organization in the respec-
tive States must be ignored, for
these differences are extremely i'm
portant from the point of view of
practical work.
Although imperialist armies are a
part of the bourgeois State apparat-
US, nevertheless, owing to mutual
rivalries and wars among the capi-
talist States, modern armies are
tending more and more directly or
indirectly, to embrace the whole ma
ton and to militarize it ("the arm
ed pation'') the militarization of
women, military training of the
youth, etc. This tendency subsided
temporarily at the end of the world
war; but at the present time, on the
eve of new war, it is manifesting
itself again very strongly Omitted
States, France, Poland). The imme-
diate results of this tendency are,
however. that the class antagonisms
between the bourgeoisie and the pro-
letariat - between the eXploiters
and the exploited - are being re-
Elected in the armies, between the
officer class and the common peo-
ple." In the words of Engels, mass
militarism results in the disintegra-
ton of all armies from within.
Hence, Communists must not boy
colt" bourgeois armies, but must
| join them and take revolutionary
control of this objective of internal
disintegration.
The bourgeoisie is exerting every
effort to create a reliable army by
drilling, stern discipline, by isolat-
ing the soldiers from the ordinary
population, by prohibiting the SOL
diers from taking part in politics,
and in certain cases, even by giving
them a privileged social positiono.
Must Study Conditions
In recent years, particularly in
those countries where formerly con-
scription prevailed, and even where
it is still in vogue, the bourgeoisie
have been adopting the system of
recruiting mercenary armies from
certain selected elements Germany,
France. But this does not relieve
the bourgeoisie of the necessity to
militarize the masses. 1t can sue
ceed in this only by combining the
mercenary troops with the national
armies" or else by establishing a mi
litia type of military organization.
1t cannot stop the process of disin-
tegration in the bourgeois armies;
it can only retard this process and
place severe obstacles in the way of
revolutionary work in the army. For
these reasons, the Communists are
confronted with the important task
of studying carefully the conditions
created as result Of the measures
adopted by the bourgeoisie and to
counteract these measures by new
methods of revolutionary work.
The proletariat's attitude towards
imperialist armies is closely linked
up with its attitude towards imperi-
alist war. For that reason, defeat
ism, and the slogan of transform
ing the imperialist war into civil war
indicate the manner in which the
partial problems of TIE system of
defense and military organization
should be approached.
Bourgeois militia, universal militia
ry service, the military training of
the youth, ETC., were all at one time
advocated by revolutionary democ-
racy. At the present time, however,
they serve as ordinary reactionary
instruments for depressing the mass
es and for preparing for imperialist
wars. Consequently, they must be
combatted as strenuouSly as possible.
This applies also to those countries
where the bourgeoisie has abolished
conscription and adopted the volun-
tary system (for example, in Ger
many. Although universal military
service would facilitate revolution
ary work and would provide the
workers with opportunities for the
use Of arms, the Communists in i'm
perialist countries must not demand
the introduction of the system; they
must oppose consc1ipt armies in
the same way as they oppose volun-
teer armies. The slogan: transform
imperialist war into civil war indi-
Gates how the Communists must
fight against measures for mass
militarization introduction of con-
scription). By militarizing the
workers and training them in the
use of arms, Imperialism creates the
prerequisites for the victory of the
proletariat in the civil war. Hence,
the revolutionary proetariat must
not combat mass militarization with
the arguments advanced by the paci-
fists. In conducting the struggle for
revolution ard for Socialism, we 30
rot refuse TO bear arms. The aim
CT cur struggle is to expose the mill
tarization the imperialists introduce
FOR the benefit of the bourgeo,s4e.
AS against this sort of militariza