The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-09-28
BY Henri Barbusse

"The idea of war is in the air.
1t can break out any moment.
At the end of July situation
suddenly arose which was similar
to that of 1914. One must
we prepared for war not tOmor-
row but today. We must become
a military, YES, a military, or bet
ter still a like nation. :"
Mussolini spoke these words from
the top of a tank. The counten-
ance of the adventurer and con-
dottiere in the service of reaction
was to be seen behind the mask Of
the pacifist chief Of State.
All the capitalistic countries &C
companied the declaration of the
fascist veteran" with deafening
music. The air maneuvers, the gen.
eral rehearsals for technically per-
fected war, are taking place almost
everywhere. At the present time
air maneuvers are being held in
and around Paris. In the mean
time the Amsterdam-Pleyel Com
mittee, which has made it its task
to form and extend the united front
throughout the world for the fight
against war and fascism, arranged
counter Recommendations against the
farce of aerial defense. We now
learn that the air maneuvers are
not to be held over Paris, but in
the neighborhood. In the mean
time, air maneuvers have been held
in England, as a result of which it
has been proved that an air at
tack could in few hours reduce
London to heap of ruins covering
several million dead. Thus we see
that England has made considerable
progress. 1t occupies sixth place in
the air armament competition and
aims at advancing to a higher po-
sition.
Mr.. Baldwin moved in the House
Of Commons to increase the air
force by more than 300 airplanes,
under the preteXt that only a ma
ton occupying a leading position
IN the sphere Of air ornaments can
compel other powers to reduce
their air fleets. Great Britain, for
the sake of peace, is preparing to
build an air fleet of 1900 airplanes.
Germany and Japan have become
converted into huge drill grounds
and munition factories. The whole
population Of these two countries
are becoming more and more mill
tarized, commencing with the youth
and the industrial workers, who are
Systematically prepared for war
which can break out any day.
Against whom and against what
are the potentates in the capitalist
countries arming at such feverish
pace? The antagoniSms between
the capitalist countries are increas-
ing and becoming more acute, as
is only logical. The Nazi putsch in
Vienna, which proved an absolute
failure, has opened the eyes of
everybody. The most skeptical are
forced to realize what a danger
spot the Danube Basin is. In the
meantime the war mongers. pre-
cisely because they are aware of
the tension between the capitalist
States and because they know that
they are thereby riSking everything,
are together seeking a way out
which would permit them to har-
ness their peoples to the war char
lots. War is the ideal solution. 1t
would free them at last from the
terrifying nightmare which has
been weighing heavily upon them
since a certain October revolution.
Mussolini, in the speech from
which we already quoted, did not
hesitate to reveal his innermost
thoughts:
Because certain nations are on
the ascent and others on the de-
cllne," declared the stranger of
the Italian people, 'there re-
mains, in spite of the best will, in
spite of conferences and protocols,
only one way Out-war."
Expressed in plain language, this
means: Because today there is only
one nation and one people which
is on the ascent, namely, the work.
ers' and peasants State, the capi-
talist countries, which are on the
decline and collapsing, cannot do
anything else but unite for war
against the Soviet Union.
Mussolini has not taught us any,
thing new. We know his principles
and his aims. The World Commit
tee and the World Committee of the
Youth for the Fight Against War
and FaScism have repeatedly, and
especially in the Manifesto of the
full session of the International
Bureau of Amsterdam-Pleyel and
the Youth on July 81, declared that
the danger of war against the So
Wet Union is becoming more threat
ening every day.
THE rising wave Of provocations
by japanese imperialism and its