The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-11-23
BY HAIRY CANNES

DINO Grandi fascist prime minister Of Italy,
and j. P. Morgan Wall Street banker for
Mussolini, arrived in the United States at about
the same time, both having toured Europe for
new military alliances in preparation for the
coming war.
Grandi's visit to President Hoover and Sec
rotary of State Stirnson came on the heels of
the trip to Washington of the French Premier
Laval. 1t was signal to the secret agreements
that were arrived at by Hoover and Laval for
war against the Soviet Union.
Grandi comes to Washington against the back
ground of tremendous world reagnment of the
imperialist powers. The objective of fascism and
the Hoover regime is to fit Italy into this re-
alignment. 1t is on this basis that the bar
coming took place.
Mussolini did not relish the idea of Wall Street
recognizing French mperaIism's hegemony in
Europe. In the sharpening antagonism between
Italian and French imperialism italian imper-
ialism is being showed back step by STEP Despite
the agreements" between France and the Uni
ted States, Mussolini could see also the sharp
conflict between these two powers growing out
of their struggle for the division of the spoils
Wall Street has always had close alliance with
fascism, loaning hundreds of millions to bolster
up the fascist regime, and Grandis trip was a
thrust 10 strengthen this alliance
In view of the deepening economic crisis in
Italy, because of the growing position of French
imperialism in Europe as against Italy, the
breakdown of the British gold standard which
severely hit italian finances Mussolini found it
necessary to draw closer to Wall Street. For
this purpose Grand was chosen to follow up
Lavals visit, to offer American imperialism a
counter check to the strengthened position of
French Imperialism.
The New York World-Telegram bluntly put
down the purposes of Grandis visit to Washing
ton in the following words:
Foreign Minister Grand, of Italy has come to
Washington to put before President Hoover the
case of Italy against France and the Italian de-
mand for more territory. Germany plunges
nearer and nearer to revolution and war"
But nothing is said about war against the Sow
let Union. In fact, the reams of news" in the
American capitalist press about the visit of
Grand deliberately hid the real issues the ques-
ton of war alliances, the capitalist rivalries and
the war preparations against the Soviet Union
Only in an obscure paragraph did the Herald
Tribune November 49, hint at the fact that
Russia was discussed The Herad-Tribune said:
THAT President Hoover and Premier Mussolini
see virtually eye TO eye on the disarmament (read
armament H. Gu question, has been well
known. The President is believed to have dis
cussed with Signor Grand questions of repara-
tons, war debts, gold standard, and, possibly
Russia. ."
In the popular capitalist press very little was
said about the deepening economic and finanr
cal crisis in Italy, or about the growing army
of unemployed, the mass wege cuts which are
creating deep discomfort among the italian
workers and peasants. In the financial press,
however, some facts of this nature were pub
liShed. The effect of the British financial crash
on Italian economy, especially on export trade,
resulting in rift between Britain and Italy, and
pushing Italian fascism closer to Wall Street, is
shown by report in the Wall Street journal,
which says:
italian trade anticipates greater difficulties