The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-01-16
BY r. PAINE QUITE.

u \
THE sharp and open conflict over
the war debts question has
brought into the limelight the grow
ing Anglo-American antagonism.
The propaganda machines on both
sides are in full blast, stocking the
fires of future war.
America is presented to the Brit
ish public as Uncle Shylock, grown
fat out of the bloodstained profits
of the past war, and now insisting
on his pound of flesh, to the ruin
of the world.
Britain and European debtors are
presented to the American public
with equal friendliness as spend
thrift militarists and dishonest
debtors, setting the world ablaze
with their senseless conflicts, al
ternately coming to America cap
in hand for new bounty, and then
seeking to repudiate their contract
ed debts in order to pile up new
ornaments.
FIGHT PROPAGANDA
IN BOTH COUNTRIES
In this way the sentiments of the
peoples on both sides are sought to
be enlisted in order to support
their own" gang of usurers and
world exploiters, and finally to
throw away their lives in millions
for their quarrels and profits.
1t is necessary to speak plainly
on these issues, to fight this prop
apanda on both sides, and to af-
firm the unity of interests of the
American and British workers
against both gangs of exploiters,
against both Wall Street and the
City, against both Washington and
Downing Street.
THE debts question is a symptom,
and not the cause of the grow
ing Anglo-American antagonism.
The Anglo-American antagoniSm
spreads over every sphere through
out the world. 1t has shown itself
most strongly in the Far Eastern
crisis, with the japanese conquest
OF Manchuria assisted and support
ed by Britain and France against
America. 1t has shown itself at
Lausanne, with the "Gentlemen'S
Agreement" of Britain and France
against America. 1t has shown it.
self through the rival maneuver-
ingS OF the Disarmament" Confer
ence. 1t has shown itself behind
the battles and civil wars in South
America. 1t has shown itself in
Ottawa and the attempt of Britain
to draw close its weakening hold
on the Empire against America.
All these conflicts, rejecting the
basic economic political rivalry for
markets, for worl determination,
have developed beneath the forms
and pretences of friendly rela-
lions" of diplomatic humbug and
bitter-sweet speeches of acid polite
ness on either side.
CONFLICT OPEN
AND SHARP
Now with the debts controversy
The conflict has become open and
public. The exchange of Notes,
each directly traversing and deny
ing the arguments of the other, has
ended for the moment in an i'm
passe: France refusing payment,
Britain making payment with the
reservation that 1t shall be the last:
the United States insisting on the
full obligation or compensation"
for any revision.
The debts controversy IS not It
self insoluble. 1t is only one phase
and symptom Of bigger antagon-
ism. The debts question is a weap-
on OF conflict between the big i'm
perialist Powers.
Debts and reparations are not the
cause Of the world crisis, as many
bourgeois economists still try to
pretend. The increase, and not
decrease, of the world crisis since
the Hoover moratorium has prac-
tically shown this. The cause of the
world crisis is capitalism--the cap
italist class ownership of the means
of production. The enormous ris-
ing forces of production are burst
ing against the letters of capitalist
class ownership. The giant capital
list trusts, the rival imperialist Pow
ers, fight ever more desperately for
an outlet, for markets, for the new
division Of the world. The whole
question Of debts and reparations
10 only strategic weapon In this