The daily worker., 1930-06-11
AFTERMATHOFTHEL
CONFERENCE

gle against the domination of French mper-
alism in the Mediterranean and for the armed
preparations for re-dvision of the French
colonial empire. Mussolini answered the re-
fusal of France to recognize naval parity with
Italy by laying the keels of 90 new battleshps
and submarines, The current Italian naval
budget increased over the previous budget by
S12,750,000. At present, Italian fascism is
fighting not only for the settlement of the
Tripolitanion frontier but it is also attempting
to wrest from France its mperialist mandate
over Syria. The great economic pressure eX-
erted upon the masses forces many of the
Italian workers to migrate to other countries.
In connection with this there is a continuous
struggle between France and Italy concerning
the status of Italians in Tunis Fascism Bit
terly opposes the Frnch Matchmaking cam
paign of Italian nationals
Practically all Italian commerce must pass
the Mediterranean. With the present situation,
however, if one is to glance on the map Italy
finds herself a virtual prisoner in the hands
of France and England The entrance to The
Mediterranean from the Atlantic is rontl oiled
by the powerful British naval base Of Glib al
tar, and tie entrance to the Mediterranean
from the Req Sea is controlled by the powerful
British naval bases, the Suez Canal and Malta.
On the other haGd, the ] rench naval bases in
Corsica, which is now being made into second
Gibraltar, and in North Africa arc IN a posi-
tion to control every Ita IN line of cpmmrn'-
cation. The powerful French navy and under
sea fleet is continuous danger and obstarlo
to the impcr;alist aspirations of fascist italy.
AS part of their preparations for war, Italy
and France are proceeding with the building
up of definite blocs in the Balkan countries To
isolate Italy, French imperialism succeeded in
intering into a military Alliance with Jugo
a SlaVlan
which serves continuous menace to Italian
fascism. The little entente built up by French
imperialism, consisting of Poland, Rumania,
Jugo-Slavia, is directed against Italian fascism
and is part of the imperialist encirclement
around the Soviet Union. On the other hand,
Italy succeeded in building up group of its
own vassal states, particularly those countries
in the Balkans which are dissatisfied with the
Versailles Treaty, consisting of Hungary, Bull
garia and Austria, Italian fascism is support
ing the Macedonian movement in Jugo-Slavia,
and made Albania virtual Italian protector
ate.
To divert the attention of the masses from
their deplorable economic condition, Italian fas-
cism is proceeding rapidly to mobilize
sentiment, particularly against France, which
is it's chief imperialist rival. The speeches Of
Mussolini are therefore war speeches. As one
of the leading American political writers, H.
M. Simmons, has stated in the New York Eve
ming Post of May 81
Re-Grouping of Forces.
"Mussolini's speeches mean war"
The Franco-Italian antagonisms and the ra-
pid preparations for armed struggle under no
circumstances replace the chief imperialist an
tagonisms which exist today in the imperlalist
world between England and the United States.
Around tkic Anglo-American antagonism all
the other imperialst differences develop and
concentrate. The fact must be remcmberet.
The Franco-Itaian war preparations prove
most effectively to the entire world the failure
of the London conference and the rapid II"
proach of On imr erialist war. Today we are
living in pre-war period similar to that Of
the last var. A definite realignMen of fNrces
is taking place s',Ne by side with the Cirect war
Pr paratjoisl III the part of :ha imperisiis1
POWERS, expressed in the tremendous war bu j.
srts and tire large naval-building programs.
While social democracy is being entrusted by
the bourgeoise with the preparations of this
mperialist war and the militarization of the
working class, the existence of the Communist
International and the activity of the Commu-
mist Parties l., definitely mobilizing the masse,
of workers; first, to understand the nature of
imperiaist wars, and secondly, to give the pro-
etarian answer to imperialist wars by turning
them into civil wars.