In view of the explanations and reasons offered by the spokesmen of the Capitalist class, as to the cause of the war in which the United States is now engaged, and in view of the many statements of pseudo-Socialists and others, misrepresenting the Socialist position, thus spreading confusion in the minds of the workers in general and particularly in the minds of those Workers who are interested in Socialism we deem it necessary, at this time, to restate the correct working class position.
Cause of the War
The underlying cause of the present war, involving the principal capitalist nations of the world, was the competition amoDig the capitalist groups of those nations for the opportunity of industrial expansion. Industrial expansion is a necessity which presses with an ever-increasing intensity on all industrially developed nations. This is occasioned by the fact that home markets are insufficient. The industries of these nations are able to produce much more than the home market will consume, owing to the specialization of labor and the development of machinery. On the other hand, the purchasing power of the great mass of the people, the working class, is limited by the amount of their wages. Competition among the workers for employment keeps their wages at a point which, on the average, allows them to buy back only enough of the wealth they have produced, to sustain themselves. Therefore, all the wealth produced, over and above the amount necessary for the maintenance of the workers, is thrown upon the market, to be consumed, either by the capitalists themselves, or sold in a new market. As the capitalist class cannot consume all this surplus wealth, they are obliged to look about for a place to dispose of it, otherwise a panic ensues. Thus, the glutting of the horne market makes it necessary to find new territory to develop, where this surplus wealth can be disposed of. The inevitable result is a struggle between nations, representing various groups of capitalists, for the territory necessary to the carrying out of their plans. Whether that territory consists of colonies, undeveloped countries, seaboard territory, or territory possessing rich natural resources, the final object is the same. And whether the struggle is for concessions with the governments of undeveloped countries, or for the freedom of the seas, or other trade privileges, the object is again the same. This object can be summed up as: Disposal of surplus wealth. Back of this condition of surplus wealth lies its cause – overproduction.
We point, also, to the fact that there is nothing in the announced proposals of any of the belligerents, which will insure peace after this war. The same causes will be operative while capitalism lasts, nor is there any assurance that the effects of these causes can be avoided by any plan of federation, disarmament, etc.. even if those plans are carried out. In this connection we advise the workers to watch closely the trend of commercial rivalry between various nations, after this war, particularly those nations just entering on a period of industrial and commercial expansion.
The Socialist Positon
As for the workers, their position is clear. Their exploitation under Capitalism stands at one end of the chain of causes leading to war, and therefore leads directly to their destruction in war.
We, therefore, re-assert that the question of peace is bound up in the ending of exploitation. We realize that a never ceasing struggle goes on between two principal factions in capitalist society – i.e., the working class and the capitalist class – one to increase portion they receive, of what they produce; the other to abstract as much wealth as possible workers and so decrease the workers’ portion. This struggle we call the Class Struggle, the highest expression of which is the organization of the workers, consciously and politically, for the purpose of wrestling the political power from the hands of the master class, to use it to transfer the ownership of the production to the wealth producers-this is the labor problem and its only solution.
Efforts to deal with the effects of capitalism such as anti-conscription propaganda, federation of nations, pacifist schemes, peace conferences, etc., are unsound and unworthy the attention of the workers. Strict adherence to the Class Struggle is our only course.
NATIONAL EXECUTlVE COMMITEE
May, 1917
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