The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-12-17
|. ONDON NAVAL.
CONFERENCE is
AN arms Race
Continued from Page One)
on this basis to establish effective
world Examination 4"

ers. Great Britain and the United
States have entered into severe COM
petition over the building of new,
faster and more powerful cruisers.
The British, in order to disarm,
agree to build not more than fifteen
10000 ton cruisers. U. S. imperial
ism insists on "disarming" by adj
ding twenty-one of these 10,000-ton
cruisers.
Japan, France and Italy inject the
question of submarines. French i'm
perialism insists on the right to
build not only additional cruisers
but a larger fleet of submarines.
Tardieu declares that the French
imperiaists will defend without
wavering the free communication
between France and its colonies"
In order to conteract the growing
naval strength of Great Britain and
the United States, the French in
sist on heavy quota of submarines.
The Japanese join heartily in this
system of disarmament-and de-
mand a heavy quota of submarines
besides 70 per cent of parity in
cruisers and other naval craft.
Because they can clearly see the
frantic race for more cruisers that
goes on between the U. S. and Great
Britain, and sensing the attempt to
limit the navies Of smaller" ma
tions, the French are increasing
their submarine demands daily.
Several months before the confer
ence the French navy department
announced $4,000 tons more Of sub
marines as adequate. On December
5, the figure is set at 127,000 tons.
In this way do the capitalist powers
"disarm."
The growing contradictions of
world capitalism is driving towards
war. British imperialism is unable
to stem the decline of its economy.
The Labor" Party, with its fascist
development, has not been able to
speed-up production sufficiently in
the interest of the master class.
U. S. imperialism is now suffering
from a severe crisis, which in turn
intensifies the struggle for arma-
ments. There is a growing sharp
ness in the battle for markets.
1t is to back up their competition
for world markets that the big pow
ers meet to barter over naval in
creases, hoping to gain advantages
at the expense of each other-agree-
ing against the others for temporary
advantages.
On one question all the powers
to assemble in London are agreed
and only on one-a united front
against the Soviet Union. This was
most clearly expressed in the rabid
support of Stimson's war threat to
the Soviet Union. True, Japan did
not join in, as it felt this was a
maneuver of the U. S. to gain con-
troll of the Manchurian railway. But
on the basic principle of hostility
to the workers republic, Japan is
whole-heartedly in agreement.
The American delegation to the
London armament conference, COM
posed of the leading militarists and
imperialists, is very clear on what
it expects to accomplish. Stimson,
Morrow, Adams, Reed and Robin
son want the American navy built
up to the position where it can back
up the fight for world markets
against Great Britain.
Macdonald, heading the British
delegation, likewise, knows what
British imperialism wants. Mac
Donald, in behalf of the British rul-
ing class, is willing to permit the
American navy to add Is to IS cruis-
ers, if Britain is allowed the same
number-in order to stave off an
open race for ornaments in which
U. S. Imperialism has an advantage.
This is the price the British pay
for parity" while at the same time
the two big capitalist nations unite
against Japan, France and Italy,
each seeking to force these lesser
powers into it's own orbit, or to per-
suade or force them out of the orbit
of it's rival.
Japan, France and Italy fight back
vigorously, and in seeking their own
interests tend to ally themselves,
offer their services to one as against
the other great rival. Wakatsuki,
the head of the Japanese delegation
announces:
'My country desires to possess
20 per cent tonnage of auxiliary
ships Cruisers, submarines, etc.)
as compared with the powers hav-
ing the greatest strength. We can
not agree to adjustment of the
submarine as suggested by Eng
land and the United States"
The French refuse to be limited
by the agreement of Great Britain
and the United States. The echo
de Paris" organ of French imperial
ism, says:
"The French navy must be in
position, within the limits of the
possible agreement made in Lon
don--should this come about--to