The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1930-04-25
LONDON NAVAL CONFERENCE
A COMPLETE FAILURE


A COMPLETE FAILURE
Officially the London Naval conference still ex-
lists. The issues of naval tonnage, and limitation
of armament construction, minced with all the
verbiage that preceded the conference remain, to-
day after almost three months of negotiations.
Not the slightest progress has been made between
the imperialist robbers
During the course of the conference every con-
ceivable method employed by the Powers to
bludgeon each other into agreement. From the
beginning it clear that the conference meant
to establish the agreement" of the hegemony of
the British and United States fleets the
The conference was attempt to get "official"
sanction from Japan, France and Italy.
The assumption of the United States to leader
ship in world economy and the deposition of Eng
land from her former role gave the political basis
to the conference. To do away with the old watch
word-"Brittania Rules the Seas"-became the OBJ
ject of America. In this she was successful, in
sofar it dictated to Britain the ratio of naval
strength giving her Omitted States) free hand
to roam the SEAS and maintain a naval fleet sec
Ond to none. What became necessary following
this agreement between the two leading world
powers, to establish form of restraint on
the other powers to establish the relative strength
of Japan, France and Italy in relation to them
selves
The demand of the Japanese for a naval
strength of 20 per cent of the United States and
England became the first obstacle The proposal
for reduction of this ratio met the stubborn re-
sistance of the japanese delegation The French
position calling for tonnage of 725,OOO tons. a
great part to be built by 1885, remains, DESPITE all
attempts to force France into reducing this fio1re
Italy stands on her original proposal of parity
with France. To allow France such a high ton
mage, and fleet that would in six years be the
most modern afoat; and to allow Italy parity with
france would present direct threat to the Brit
lsh interests in the Mediterranean, and generally
De threat to both England and the United States.
Japan threw the wrench into this wheel bv re-
Jectlng the proposals of the United States and
ureat britain, that Japan accept reduction below
tne Japanese figure of 70 percent ration of the
English and American fleets Italy has declared
IN the last week, that unless the conference would
Immediately agree to parity between her and
FRANCE 1t would be necessary for her to leave the
conference.
ana additional attempts to revert to security
pactS as solution to the French problem at the
conference met with failure. The powers evident
y feel that the time is not yet ripe to enter into
agreements OF political nature, at this stage of
the game They are content to play for time dur-
ing this peaceful" period of the war prepara
uons A political pact with either the United
States or Great Britain, France claims ,vorld on
able her to lower her demand for 725OOO ton
mage ratio. But with Japan's refusal for rodro-
ZION In her demand, Frances's assumption of the
same position, and Italys refusal to agree 10 lees
than yarity with France, the naval cnnfararco
stands lfeless
E. l.. James in the New York Times of April s
sums up the present situation in Tondor :; A.
following manner:
Thus the complications of the naval
conference do not lessen, and whila there
nave Deen many interesting proposals mo
Une KNOWS exactly what the situation is
mere mas been no meeting of the confer
ence Tor six weeks. There have been onIv
private talks in the greatest secrecy of
winch no record was kept If the whole of
flclal record OF the decisions of this confer
ence were compiled, it would not fill
twenty typewriter pages.
There probably never was another
conference secret in its work This means
tnat IL 1t ever gets down to making
treaty an immense amount of work must
De zone IN setting down what has been
agreed 1t probably will be found that No
two delegations agree on any point
Inc collapse of the conference was inevitable
from the moment it began. The mask of IFS nre-
'entiOns mas been torn through its complete fail
ures Technically the conference is continued
ACTUALLY IL mas been dead for weeks. The confer
ehce demonstrates that under capitalism the con-
'raoictlons that exist cannot be solved THROUGH
peace1ui means War and capitalism are identical
Inc solution to this problem is the overthrow of
tnls system of exploitation and war; It is the
ou'y OF the proetariat to destroy this system and
It's iacKeys' to establih system without classes
expectation and war-a Communist Society