The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-05
An Open NdUdI Race

An open NGD0t race
sJN4,Av Secretary Of tbs Navy Swanson nnads putGc
the annual report OF tbs Navy Department. report
generally featured in this press "a new American
policy OF vast import --...
The soripps-Howsrd foreign editor ssnns, for
ssannple, interprets this report follows:
" Briefly stated this policy is for tbs United
states TO stick to it's own front yard nearly
pos6he reduce its political obligations across the
seas to the minimum cooperate wherever 1t cen 10
promote world pesce, but keep its powder dry
a Trs only correct statement in this estimats rs
Americas intention to keep its powder dry In other
words the Roosevelt administration publicly declares
lbs intention Of being prepared for war.
The central idea in Swansonis declaration is this;
THE time has come,' his declared when
can no longer afford to lead in disarmament by ex-
ample. Other powers have not followed example
with the result that the United States finds SIS
relative strength seriously impaired"
From this he concludes that the present thirty
one battesip building program, costing $3ss000O0o
mot including recent additional appropriations
from the public works fund, already being carried
through BY the administration Is entirely inadequate
He proposes to embark building program which
would involve the completion of 101 additional naval
vessels before the end Of 19S6-within two year-to
establish what he terms "a treaty navy second to none
we can no longer afford to lead in disarmament
BY example" says Swanson and therefore building
program Immediately involving tbs construction OF
1888 battleshipsS
What Is Of ~vass aapogts heser only this: ts1e
United States Gcvsszrnszs openly selves peeee and
disarmament tan fog iss struggle fce r.a
tary and naval srreerssys
cwANsoN falsely sasesvuss 70 convey tie sn,pges-
sion that tbs Omitted States Government, until now.
has futhsred disarmament by example" In reality
at both the Gensva and London naval conferences the
American delegates tried to strengthen Americas naval
position by disazrs It's nperdalst rivals, in the first
place Great Britain and japan, But the United States
at time has been willing to give Up single battle
ship unless It's rivals gsys Up two As result after
every one OF these disarmament" conferences the
United States well Is ths other powers has en-
tered building program.
Now, Swanson Acknowledges the inability OF Amer
ican bargainers TO make such twoto-one trades 10
their advantage at such conferences and publicly de-
careg the administrations intention to enter openly
INTO fierce naval with Great Britain, Japan,
France and Italy, in which every capitalist
ration viii become involved.
That Is the really significant point in the Navy
department reports naval race, openly declared The
Omitted States enters this with 1873 battsips as
sss immediate program, number that viii be in
creased Japan and Great Britain make Known their
eounter- plans.
fAPaN has already given It's reply On Monday the
Japanese Government announced appropriations for
~ new naval vessels to cost s24Aoo0O0O.
Great Britain be expected to follow with its bid
Clearly the naval race, more frenzed than ever
before, Is onl
Does this mean, William Sinms says that the
United States intends to Stick to it's own front YARD
reduce its political obligations across the seas" etc.
ese.2
Decidedy noti This means the drawing closer
II WAR; 1t means precisely that the United States
does NOT intend to stick to its own front yard"
Swansons navy building program is brought for
ward because of the sharper International antagon-
lsns between the imperiast powers With the deep
enng crisis, the need of the mperialists for a re-
division of the world for markets for fields for capital
investment, for control of raw material sources grows
more acute. These are accompanied by sharper po-
Httcal antagonisns between themselves between the
inperdast nations and the colonies, between the i'm
pertalist world and the Soviet Union the Socialist
world That IS why and disarmament chatter is
pushed to the background, and they enter into new
staee-one of OPEN preparations for war.
T1IIS places greater responsibilities on the workers
= movement, the Communist Party on the revo-
lutionary trade unions, the anti-war bodies (par-
ticulariy the American Committee Against War and
Fascisrn, recently formed in New York;. This pro-
gram of the Roosevelt administration given out by
Swanson, can be the means of srousing the masses
II Is necessary to bring this program133 batteships
at q cost OF more than billion dollars, while the
go hungry and starve-before the workers
Protest meetings, resolutions demonstrations should
be the starting point. But out OF this must come
huge, well organized snti-war movement q movement
raying the broadest sections of the population and
distinctly working class in program, capable and will
ing to wage determined struggle against inuerialist
war