The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-04-17
THE END OF A CONFERENCE
And the Beginning of War

decision 1ghich naral authorities had al
ready reached"
All the tonnage which the United States is
going to dispose Of would have gone to the
scrap heap, conference or no conference, by
the mere operation of the age limit.
The battleship proved itself to be a very
costly and ineffective weapon. The "reduc-
ton" was not disarmament, but an eXpediency
demanded by the preparations for the coming
war The Naval Appropriation Committee of
the United States Congress had to admit:
with the adUent of aircraft and sub-sea-
craft and the efficiency of each or either, the
position of the battleship is questioned It's
supremacy has been challenged Naval critics
lohose Judgment cannot be bIoOm down the
2cind are not sIo'O to say that in event of
avar of magnitude, bottIeships aooald be
anchored IN safest harbors pending epentu-
alitie8.''
In the place of the obsolete craft which the
United States Government was ready to "sac-
rifice" in the interests of disarmament and
peace, the United States will uphold this peace
by stronger and better perfected navy.
The United States will now build $4,000
tons of destroyers costing $37S000,000; 160,-
600 tons of cruisers of 10000 tons displacement
each, $2SS, 000,000 10000 tons of light cruisers,
$126000,000; 10000 tons of submarines, $780,
100000; and 5000 tons of aircraft, 1871 000,-
600, making a total of S1,02S, 900 900 to be
spent by the American navy within the next
five years, as a result of the London confere-
nee.
Feyersh War Preparations
1t is here interesting also to remark the fact
that in the feversh war preparations on the
part of American imperialism, the United
States will have to build $4,000 tons of cruisers
above tho 15-cruiSpr nropraOo rpcent1v adonted
by Congress.
proportional increase in tonnage and in
expenditure will also take place in Japan and
in England. Another important fact is that
this naval program is not yet the limit. The
three-power treaty contains what is known as
a moving platform" This gives England the
right to revise its naval program based on
the increased naval program of France or any
other European power. Great Britain tradi-
tonally maintained for herself the right of
the two-power standard namely. the navy of
England to be equal to the combined navies
of France and Italy.
We know, as was clearly shown at the Lon
don Conference, that France will increase its
naval program. In turn this will call for an
increase-in addition to the present gigantic
naval programmes stated in the three power
treaty of $4,000 tons of cruisers and $4,000
tons of destroyers. Naturally, for the United
States to maintain "parity" with England will
mean building equal additional tons of cruisers
and destroyers.
This in cold figures will be the result of the
London three power agreement which the capi-
talist class does not want to disclose and speak
about to the workers.
AS far as Great Britain is concerned. we
know that precisely under the Labor Govern.
ment, gigantic war program is being carried
out covered by pacifist illusions and promises
of "peace."
Frank H. Simmons, correspondent of the
New York Evening Post (Republican), point
ed out that:
"For Europe what has happened is that
conference called in the name of peace and
reduction has produced chaos without reduction
and socialist government has proved, if not
more royalist than the king, at least as little
ready to champion real disarmament as the
die-hards themselves"
Prelude To War
The London Conference is a prelude of the
inevitable imperalst war 1t must glaringlv
expose the contradictions between the imperial
list powers. 1t definitely shows how in a period
OF peace the expenditures for naves of the
various lmperialist powers is greater even
than in the days of war. That the London
Conference did not bring any peace is defin-
itely being recognized by the capitalist press
which admitted that:
THE London Conference is going TO result
IN the adjustment of the fleets of the great
sea poWcrs, IN accordance acith the necessities
of the neat 1Odr."
These are the cold facts about the London
conference and its results, which every worker
must remembe" and from them draw the prop
er conclusions.