The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-11-17
WHEN WAR COMES

edge which the bourgeoisie whether they liked
it or not, were forced to give them (for other
wise no war could have taken place.. Marx said
THE weapon used by the bourgeoisie to over
throw feudalism is now being used against the
bourgeoiSie itself. But the bourgeoisie has not
only forged the weapon that will kill it, but has
created the people who will shoulder the wea-
pom. They are the present-day workers-the
proletarianS." These words can be appropriately
applied to the present situation.
In spite of all the obstacles and repressons.
an extremely favorable field for revolutionary
activities is created by these conditions Engels
once wrote: THE PruSSian army in peace time
might under ordinary circumstances allow itself
to be used by the government inside the coun-
try-but in wartime never" This prophecy was
fulfilled in every respect in the Russian army in
1917 and to less degree (since the hourgeoisie
made use Of the social-democrats) in Germany
and Austria of 1918. The imperialist war of the
future will pave the way for its fulfiFlment on yet
a wider scale.
Organization of Fascist Corps
True we should not forget that the bourgeoisie
Will be able TO recruit its hirelngs ("loyal to
the death") from fascist contingents made I'D
OF the professional officer class bourgeois STU
dents and other groups for the various strate-
gically important sections of the army, especial
~ since with present-day INFLAMMATION and
technical progress such sections need not be
large numerically. The ornaments with which
these contingents will be furnished will have a
range Of action never witnessed before This ap-
plies especially to aviation whose relatively small
compliments will be recruited and deployed Just
from this point Of view. This, too, refers to the
tank crews, poison-gas squads and electric ray
operators, and Others who will be used to sup
press any sign OF sedition among the troops and
the workers and to Illustrate any revolutionary
move
These fascist contingents will cause much
damage and undoubtedly will again and again
drown the uprisings ina sea of blood.
A considerable section Of these contingents
will be held in reserve all the time will be spared
from the holocaust at the front to deal with any
mutiny in their own army or among the
workers.
But significant as they are, these contingents
will comprise only a small section Of the mass
armies of the future and in the long run will
be unable to act without these armies and with
out the support Of the industrial services We
have already shown that in modern warfare
available supplies and large numbers Of trained
airmen have no value whatever unless they can
be constantly supplemented and renewed by
the continuous and uninterrupted operation of
industry. The same consideration applies to
chemical warfare, tanks ETC., not to speak Of
mechanical and automatic appliances handled
by the infantry, artillery, etc.
The punitive and expeditionsry operations of
these picked contingents will only provoke a
new storm of protest and hatred against them
selves and as the movement becomes extended
this fascist "buwark' of the bourgeoisie will Gin
all likelihood after much sacrifice) be swept
aside by the rising tide of the revolutionary ac-
ton of the troops and workers
Ito be continuedl