Montana labor news., 1936-05-28
ORGANIZED LABOR
CAN STOP WAR
By 10 SEMINARS
Labor Department, National Council
for Prevention of War.

-
The most vital issue before the
American people today is the main
tenance OF peace. Yet an ominous
note is sounded as the international
scene darkens and tensions increase;
the war budgets OF all countries-par-
ticularly OF our own United States
are rapidly mounting, and talk of wal
scares between this country and Japan
play a prominent role in the great
game of propaganda which miracul-
ously appears on the horizon every
time a navy bill m before Con
gress.
While militarism is on the march, the
multitude Of intelligent citizens every
where are removing the cataracts from
their eyes which have been blinded by
the moth-eaten delusion that war is
Inevitable )" today, they are asking
for a practical plan Of action to prevent
the United States from being dragged
into war.
Organized labor, particularly, has
been more active during the past year
in behalf of peace than it has been in
its entire history. Labor has come to
know that not only must it fight in
wars, but it must pay for them after
ward. Further, labor realizes that the
growth-actually the very existence
OF the labor movement depends upon
the maintenance of peace, and labor
must determine that it will stop war
or war will stop labor.
There is little doubt in the minds of
the great host OF workers in this coun-
try that the next war will bring Fas-
cism. An eminent authority on this
question, Stephen Raushenbush, for
mer investigator of the Nye Munitions
Committee, declared recently in an adj
dress before a labor group that war is
the friend OF the dictator, and that
the plans for the next war contem-
plate definitely the suppression Of the
freedom of the press and of labor
Mr.. Raushenbush further stated that
the controls would be extended for six
months after the end OF war and may
be extended indefinitely. Military
control over industry and labor is the
essence of Fascism racial and religious
prosecutions are incidental. Fascism
comes when the struggle for purchas-
ing power by the workers is lost and
a country starts to go down to coolie
wages and has to suppress the oppo-
sition."
Already drawn up are the plans for
the mex war-plans calling for an ex-
penditure OF ten billion dollars a year
by the United States-and setting forth
a disguised draft OF labor and fixed
wages. This is not democracy, 1t is
Fascism. And when Fascism comes,
the organized labor movement will
meet its death.
Adequate" National Defense.
In recent weeks, the largest appro-
priations for our military and naval
establishments - larger than the
amounts expended for national de-
Tense by Great Britain, France, or any
other nation-have been ~"railroaded'
through Congress under the guise OF
adequate" national defense. In an
undemocratic and f~ascistic fashion
Hitler style-without decent discussion
or debate, nearly one billion dollars
has been appropriated for the fiscal
year 1887 for our already huge war
machine.
An annual burden as stupendous as
this is %ridiculously out of proportion
TO what we spend for the maintenance
of peace through the State Department
once called the Department Of Peace
by Charles Evans Hughes. Construc-
tive purposes such as housing to meet
the dire needs of the people Of this
coutry are allotted an infinitesimai
amount, while the gigantic budget for
purely military purposes-the Army,
Navy, and air forces-augmented by
funds made available from ~unexpended
appropriations, reaches well over the
billion dollar mark.
Now-in time of peace-the people
OF this country are being burdened by
the largest military appropriations ever
made in peace-time, and the tax bur-
den to pay for these preparations for
war mounts; the people meanwhile are
left facing the dangers of continuous
unemployment, disease, infant mortal
ity and starvation.
What constitutes an adequate" ma
tional defense? The Administration
leaves this question unanswered-un-
answered to the numerous and re-
peated inquiries OF the citizens who see
America heading straight towards an
other foreign war. The platform OF
the Democratic party in 1882 declared
that it stood for a Navy and an Army
adequate for national defense based on
a survey of all facts affecting the ex-
isting establishments that the people
in time of peace may not be burdened
by an expenditure fast approaching
$l,000,0O0,000 annually" Yet up TO this
late date, no such study has been UNI
dertaken.
Senator Gerald P. Nye, in a vigorous
attack during the debate on the Navy
bill told the Senate that the record
breaking naval expenditures would i'm
pose a heavy burden on taxpayers
who already are displeased by these
huge military expenditures" He
further declared that the United