The daily worker., 1930-06-11
By LEON PLATT.

"Pretty phrases are all very fine. but mus
kets machine guns ships, and fighting air
planes are even better.'-Musson.
EVERYONE can see the results of "peace"
Ia and disarmament achieved at the London
conference The imperialists are proceeding
to carry through their naval programs. The
U. S. already has appropriated over $50 million
dollars for its billion dollar navy French I'M
perialism is faithfully carrying out its prom
s<ise of building navy of 100000 tons by 1884.
The factors however, that brought the war
danger most forcefufy to the forefront are
the sharpening Franco-Italian antagonisms and
the rapid approach of an armed struggle be-
tween these two imperiahst powers.
The Crisis of Italian Fascsm.
On the basis of the appropriation of the 1tal-
ian peasantry, and the intensive exploitation of
the working class, and with the help of foreign
loans (particularly American) Italian fascism
succeeded temporarily to reconstruct its in
dustries and achieve certain economic successes.
Italy succeeded particularly in developing its
automobile, ship-building and artificial silk in
dustries. The economic success of Italian fas-
cism, however, depends upon raw material
from other countries. Italy must import such
vital raw materials as steel, coal, oil, cotton,
rubber and grain. The continuous wage cuts
and the large government subsidies to Italian
industries increased their competitive capacities
on the international market.
Being dependent, however, for its raw ma
terials upon other countries, having its lines
of communication under the control of France
and England, and having to meet the French
competition in its best market-the Balkan
countries-the position of Italy is being con-
tinuously threatened. At the same time the
world economic crisis of capitalism seriously
affected fascist capitalist economy. One of the
Of oil had tO tat
"The Wall Street crash had great effect upon
our economy it still further increased the diff
ficulties and the unfavorable position of our
finances and trade"
Italian exports seriously declined. The ex-
ports for January, 1929, totalled 1,037, 900 lire
compared with 77,000,00 lire for January,
1880. The unfavorable balance of trade for
January, $780, reached a total of 524,0OO,O0O
lire. Unemployment seriously increased. From
fascist sources we are informed that the total
number of unemployed in Italy reached 380,00O-
In reality, however, the number of unemployed
is between 100000 to 100000. Generally, italian
fascism finds itself in serious economic crisis.
The promised farm relief resulted only in
further appropriation of the poor Italian peas
antry and increased subsidies to the rich land
owners Under the growing burden of ex
ploitation which became sharper with the de-
velopment of the economic crisis, the Italian
working class is rapidly increasing us resist
ance and discomfort with the fascist regime.
Struggle For Re-Divison of the World.
Italian fascism is faced not only with the
problem of meeting the competition on the in
ternational market, but it also is fighting for
the re-division Of the world which is necessary
for the maintenance of the independence of the
fascist state and its security as an important
imperialist state Italian fascism has not great
colonies to speak of. The various Italian col
onies in Africa are absolutely poor in all of
the important raw materials vital in indus
trial products. On the other hand, however,
only a short distance from the mother country
there are situated rich colonies possessing all
the necessary raw materials Italy needs. These
colonies, however, are already under the con-
troll of other imperialst powers, particularly
France. Italy is therefore fighting for re-
division of the colonial world, particularly of
the French colonial empire. Mussoini has
openly stated in one of his speeches in Flor
ence:
"We came back from Versailles with mutt
lated victory"
At the London conference were manifested
very clearly the growing Franco-Italan an
tagonisms The struggle of Italian fascism
for parity was only an expression of the strug-