SS. British Empire Faces Rising Tide of Revolt NEGRO QUESTION In African Colonies MUTINY!
DECEMBER 1, 1939 SOCIALIST APPEAL We Want to Go Home. LABOR WITH WHITE SKIN CANTHE NOT EMANCIPATE ITSELF WHERE LABOR WITH BLACK SKIN IS BRANDED KARL MARX.
1917: The Mutinies of the Russian Brigades in France By JOHNSON, By BRITANNICUS by Spartacus many years. He organized alaDestiny of the Negro From the beginning of the war bor union in West Africa and led THE FIRST FLAMES of mutiny on the Western Front were Very soon after the February revolution, writes Trotsky (Outline of the course at the Marxist School)
it. ran lit by sparks from the Russian revolution. Some twenty in his History of the Russian Revolution, the first brigade The subject for this week discussion is the mancipation from the idea of a united people and tion, and was driven out of the thousand Russian troops fighting in France were the fuel for broke discipline. It did not want to fight for Alsace or for for December, devoted entirely to the Negre question, includes an columes emplena de ready in the country. He went to England and the fire.
Lorraine; it did not want to die for beautiful France. It there is at present a firm core of International Service Bureau, These Russian soldiers had been sent to France in the wanted to try living in the New Russia. simple, reasonab scribes in some detail the revolutionary contributions of the moderne revolutionary resistance in Great which has always taken a mili freighters which landed munitions for the Czar armies at desire, certainly! So little and yet from the viewpoint of All who are interested in this subject should secure a copy of the can be certain also that it would against the patient whospomtion. Archangel, Murmansk, Vladivostok. It was a fine business French so much! Colonel Netchvolodov, a battalion December number and study it closely. Here we shall make dere already have been much larger, festo has been published in the transaction. The French had plenty of munitions but needed commander, indicated most dramatically just how the High the role of the Negro in this phase of the devel had it not been for the fact that Socialist Appeal. Early in 1938 cannon fodder; the Czar had plenty of cannon fodder but command felt about this simple little request. When a deleg opment of Western civilization.
sentence. It is a form of society based on landed property and simple er ornamente lerested and organized a political aceite precede guns. Furthermore, the French boats avoided an un tion presented it to him, he fainted on the spot. The delegate had to pick up the Colonel out of the mud and carry him in at the other end of the social scale you have the seria, who sete Roosevelt, through his stooge, councillors, who were as subser: Incredible rumors were circulating in the Russian ranks about Casualties: Sixty six per cent much the same way, President against the old line municipal There was no trouble getting volunteers for the trip. doors to be revived.
part of their produce to feed themselves and contribute their sur Attorney General Murphy, is vient to the British government conditions in the French army. It was said there was no flog: Ing aristocracy is the clergy. The main characteristic of social life against spies in this country in India. In a fierce political cam ging, that rifles were so plentiful that every man got one all The men made no immediate attempt at mutiny. They pressed their simple request, but continued to obey orders.
great privileges, and the serts and others have very few or none. Who are determined to oppose the supported by the westendidates to himself, and that even privates wore leather shoes.
In April, General Nivelle, the new French commander inThis is not a matter of custom, but a question of law. In capitalist war. Youth League, won Asmashing The Language of the Whip chief, launched his grand offensive that was to smash the Ger Boclety, in theory, all men are equal before the law. In its principal colonies, how victory over the old fakers who Feudal economy in Europe did not in any way have contact with ever, the British bourgeoisie is formerly misrepresented the peoAfrica. It was essentially a subsistence economy, that is to say, it confronted by a rising tide of re ple in the Lagos municipality When the first of the Russian regiments landed at Mar man lines once and for all and that almost smashed the seilles, they were greeted with cheers and flowers even more French military machine once and for all. The Russians were teenth and fourteenth centuries, however, there grew up in Europe alyzed the ratlike scamper OF HITLERITE CONCENTRATION enthusiastically, according to eyewitnesss, than the Americans ordered up into the line. They discussed the matter in their a new class, the merchants. These were the first real capitalists. Gandhi from pro Ally converse CAMPS OF THE BRITISH were later on. But the soldiers soon found their existence as Soviets and decided to obey.
tions with Lord Linlithgow, the Now comes the news that Wal wretched under the Third Republic as it had been under the One of their brigades, nine thousand strong, was given Europe First Dealings With Africa Viceroy, to frantic shouts about lace Johnson has been arrested Soon their business began to be of great importance in the state. the necessity of Britain granting by Sir Douglas Jardine, the Eng Czar. They were kept together in two brigades about twenty the task of capturing one of the main buttresses of the GerWith increasing wealth, they gradually changed the economies of independence to India as the price lish governor, and thrown into a thousand of them altogether under Russian officers, and man line: Fort Brimont, a fortress with deep concrete rethat the community needed, to the manufacture of goods on a large Gandhi, the representative of the mans and others as a man liker floggings and brutality flourished on the democratic soil of doubts, almost impregnable to infantry attack. Nivelle had scale.
This particular class was concerned as much with production Indian millowners and the land to disturb peace and order during France just as much as on the autocratic soil of Holy Russia. planned to outflank it after the break through and take it from for trade in other parts of the country and abroad as for use at lords, has not changed his pro the war. That the only kind of language the Russian soldier under the rear. But the break through never came, and so the Riushome. It was this drive for trade, for raw materials, for markets, British subservience between Sep We can get no further news stands, explained their officers. Furthermore, these Russian sians were ordered to take it by frontal attack. They had to and for profit, that created the necessity Afteenth century finally sent expeditions to America and to Africa. breathing polley. It is the Indian Commons Campbel Stevens of regiments had terrible losses, being spent by the French go up hill, in full view of the German defenders for two and Thus it was the development of capitalism in Europe that brought masses who are determined not the Independent Labor Party General Staff in the reckless way they had with colonial troops six lines of barbed wire defenses. Day after day they strug a half miles, crossing a deep canal and getting through twentythe millions of Africans into contact with Western civilization. to give any support to their 300 asked Malcolm MacDonald, Sec. of inferior races. Even Winston Churchill, in his history Capitalism demands above all else landless laborers. In Europe year long Jailers. And Gandhi retary of State for the Colonies, the capitalist claw created a class of landless laborers by driving must protest or perish. The In. to state the crime for which of the war, admits that the Russian brigades were used by gled on, dying in whole companies under the German machine guns. When they finally reached the earth covered slopes of them off the land whenever possible, for if the serf or the peasant dian masses are for war but for Johnson was arrested. MacDon the French in a ruthless manner. Unrest began, writes Wintringham in Mutiny.
the fort itself, they had lost two thirds of their original had land on which to work or earn his keep for himself, naturally war against Britain he would not hire himself out to any capitalist for long hours and Now Africa takes the sela British government knew quite paper called Nashe Slovo. Our Word) was printed in strength six thousand killed and wounded. The exhausted survivors were unable to take the fortress.
small pay.
When the capitalists discovered America they tried to use the mate not at all suitable for Eur House of Commons that Johnson tested against the abuses of which the men complained. The British West Africa has a cli created if it were stated in the Russian in Paris and copies of it reached the brigades; it proEven after the Nivelle offensive, the Russians did nog much land that it was impossible to get Tandless laborers from peanah The political situation was openly carrying on agitation Russian command decided to employ Tsarism usual meth mutiny. But now began those widespread muținies in the among the early colonists. Because of this, the capitalists in Europe acute asert in British south would tay bare to the British pub ods: to send into the ranks agents provocateur, who would French army which will be described in the next instalmene slaves to America and thereby provided becousnje plan de recera where the climate allows Europ: empire and coming so quickly could be inflicted, an example made. man called Vining, became politicalized, thanks largely to the efficient work of Rhodesia and Kenya, lic the lle about the unity of the lead the men into some sort of riot, then severe punishment of this series. As we shall see, these French mutinies never pacity for making profit.
By means of these vast pronts that they made at home and more people, ane West Africa, there state of affairs in India, would from the Russian Embassy in Paris. seems to have done his the French authorities in isolating the troops from all contact abroad, the capitalists in Britain and France, not only are only 5, 000 Europeans and in help expose British imperialism, work too well: a Colonel Krause was set on and stoned to with workers and revolutionaries. The Russian troops were a exam Lagos, a town of 150, 000 inhabi not as the friend of democracy rous source of political infection, with their increasingly built up tremendous trade and business, but, with the profits accutants, there are only 1000 whites, and civilization but as the great. death. Eight men were shot for this, Nashe Slovo suppressed.
militant demands, their close ties with the Russian revolution tion of science to Industry. The standard of civilization rose, and the of British domination no British rights of people, hated by the mil helped to run the paper, was expelled from France. Thus, and their Soviets. the word sent shivers into the polished ments of France and Britain still continued to be under the domine settlers wanted land, British im lons it oppresses, who wish now for a moment of history, the fates of these twenty thousand boots of the General Staff. perialism was graciously pleased thing better than to see Brit Russian soldiers and of the future leader of the Red Army French Minister of War at the time. The example that these Wintringham quotes the frank words of Paul Painleve tion of the old feudal nobiliy. When came much trouble.
to guarantee to the Africans the ain downfall in the present cripossession of their land. Recently, sis.
were joined in symbolic union.
Capitalists Make Their Revolution however, Lord Leverhulme, of the JOHNSON VIEWS IN Russian soldiers gave in their Soviets, their deliberations Trade and factories were more important than land. Yet the famous firm of Leverhulme Bro AFRICAN MANIFESTO We Want to Go Home!
their attitude towards their officers, demoralized the French rulers of the country were princes, dukes, lords, bishops, and arch thers, son manufacturers, has We have no direct news of In March of 1917, the Czarist regime was overthrown, troops alongside them and repercussions of this were felt on bishops. That was all very well when they had the economic power, realized the importance of takbut now it had passed from them. Not only were they proud and ing away the Africans land, and what Johnson has been doing, cast aside in a few days of almost bloodless struggle by the the whole front. The only remedy was to transfer them to the errogant, but they tried to keep the laws and the government suit. is intriguing against them. How toe weer menstrugte te sien enterrome awakening Russian masses. Despite the strenuous efforts of interior of the country.
basis of the country, the laws and the government should have been land for a hundred years under tional African Bureau to which the French authorities, news of the revolution quickly reached (NEXT WEEK: French fearing the spread of the the Russian brigades. At once, delegates were elected, secret Soviet idea to its own troops, isolates the Russian soldiers in organized to help trade and Industry. It was no use pointing out to British rule and will lose it only he subscribed: them that they should give way. It took revolutions to do ti at the cost of a desperate civil We denounce the whole gang meetings called, and finally open assemblies Soviets. Out of camp at La Courtine. Left to themselves, without officers the In Britain there were two revolutions. One took place in the sev war.
lers of the colonial peoples Ger all the talking and voting, one basic, simple demand emerged: men organise a model democratic community. finally enteenth century and lasted off and on for nearly sixty years. In France, revolution began in 1789, and by the time it was over the BACKGROUND OF PRESENT, man Nazia, Italian Fascists. We want to go back to Russia! All through the long drawn suppresses the Soviet when it orders the camp surrounded by NATIVE STRUGGLES French, British, Belglan and out affair, this was the only demand made: Send us back artillery and at bayonet point forces one of the brigades to fire power of the aristocracy and the clergy was wiped away completely.
What part did the Negroes play in all this?
They are on the alert and in Dutch democrats. all are the upon the other. The capitalists who first profited by slavery were commercial creasingly hostile to Britain. In same IMPERIALIST BANDITS to Russia. We want to go home!
capitalists and the planters in the colonies. These planters were 1929 the women of Nigeria, thirty whose comon aim is the enslave partly capitalist in that they traded their produce far and wide, and thousand strong, led a revolt ment of humanity throughout the comparable to the old serfdom and built up a type of feudal society. nearly two hundred being either To the workers of Britain we But as capitalism developed, these commercial traders and the plan killed or wounded. In 1987 there appeal also. You must unite in tation owners collaborated closely with the aristocracy, and many of was a general strike of the Gold the struggle of the colonial peocapitalists were busy developing their factories, the aristocrats, the by the truckdrivers and dockers, who is in your own country. To planters, and the commercial capitalists formed, roughly speaking The British government sent out white and black the solution is a commission, which, with much the same: Organize and be ready one reactionary group.
verbiage, finally decided essential to seize the opportunity to overAn End to Slavery ly that the Gold Coast farmers throw the enemy.
had as much right to form com FOR COMPLETE ECONOMIC activities of India 375, 000, 000 of last week. This too will spread mittee News concerning the anti wared out on strike at the beginning gress Working (executive) Com But the initiative is no longer Now one of the things that the Industrial capitalista nted to binations and to protect their AND SOCIAL LIBERATION OF people is finally beginning to rapidly and shortly involve the which, while affirming the de the hands of the workers and adopted a resolution in their hands! It rests firmly in do was to finish with slavery. It was too expensive. Slave production prices as the employers had to THE COLONIAL PEOPLES!
was backward compared with modern methods and more highly form their combines pierce through the heavy British more than 100, 000 jute workers mand for immediate indepen peasants who have passed beyond developed capitalist production in agriculture. So that you had on The West African youth is also DOWN WITH THE IMPER censorship.
who toil in the British factories dence and a popular Constituent the conservative boundaries of one side the industrial capitalists determined to destroy slave militant and organized.
They IALIST BANDITS!
In previous issues of the So around and in Calcutta Assembly, left the door open for their leaders and who are al power of the aristocrats, the commercial capitalists and the plant have had better opportunities of WORKERS OF ALL LANDS, clalist Appeal we have reported Massacre Nationalists further negotiations. No practical ready reaching out for freedom ers. It was in this political struggle that Negoes got their chance education than Negroes elsewhere UNITE!
on the rising wave of anti war In Karachi, a major seaport of actions were proposed. This is be and power. Rebel India is indeed to fight for their freedom. They played a small part in the English in Africa, and, social discrimina We can state with confidence sentiment and activity for India the country and a center for na cause the Gandhi leaders fear the on the march again and its pade political struggle, a larger part in the French struggle, and a detion, for the historical reasons de that that is the sentiment of freedom that is now sweeping tionalist propaganda, the British masses at least as much as do will increase rapidly within the clsive part in the American struggle. This was not accidental. few scribed, is not as strong else hundreds of millions of colonials, tween the conservative Gandhi applied some of their democrat. the British.
next weeks and months!
figures will show us why.
In 1789 British colonial trade was five million pounds out of an years there has developed a West they need is political clarifica camerasofange the same statementet biood, British troops and police 21 ties broken doww. completely the nationalists who were conducting few slaves in the West Indies. We can therefore see that slavery was thousand strong, which is in optive. More than ever we can see playing a very minor part in British economy. The British Negroes position not only to British impe the crying necessity of a power British to make even the slightestration. The number of wound Great Britain scored a big point, it, the investment of British capon the whole played little part in the destruction of British feudal rialism but also to the caste of ful revolutionary organization, est promise or concession. At led is unknown, but this action of this week in its struggle against ital WIS practically at standism.
trates, and other government of Johnson was once a follower of that time we predicted that a the police who were confronted scope ficials, who can be found in Brit Stalin, but broke with the Comin period of direct mass action on with absolutely unarmed people the United States over control of still in comparison to the inrondu Negro In The French Revolution In France in 1789 the export trade was 17 million pounds. The ish West Africa and in no other tern when it preche de suppeasants would begin.
that dem the part of India workers and can only be labelled as another South America markets. made by US capital.
ocratie Britain this. The ques. British African colony.
colonial trade was 11 million pounds two thirds While the Gandhist leaders of inal massacre. British rule in the Tucaday repudiated its Aug. 23 talism, even with its postwa From 1913 to 1928, British cap The leader of the youth league ported against fascism. There are tion of abolition was therefore of tremendous importance. It took a prominent part in the revolution. The Negroes fought magnificently in Wallace Johnson, a West Afr hundreds, nay thousands of such the Nationalist Congress have colonies is based precisely upon declaration for multilateral trade partial recovery, had only in and being thousands of miles away, gained their independence. This can Negro, who has been active leaders in the colonies. We have around with the British Viceroy such actions as the Karachi which opened the way for the creased its investments by ap: continued their futile playing in politics in West Africa for to get to them somehow!
slaughter Us to take over Britain Argen proximately fifteen percent.
is how Haiti came into being.
the masses of people have not Meanwhile, the are tinian markets and, through Alihe same period Yankee capital In America in 1861 this combination of the commercial bourbeen inactive.
British making every effort to relieve fredo Louro, Director of the Exism advanced well over a thou geoisie and the plantation owners was not a minor part of Amer11 Workers Take the Lead the constantly growing pressure change Control Bureau, declared: sand percent. During that period lean economy. It was a major part. The combination was not a colony thousands of miles away. It occupled hundreds of thousands of emegence of the industrial work communal discord. There are re importations of other countries zil and other countries. Britain of utmost significance is the by stirring up Hindu Moslem Al requests for exchange for Wall Street stretched into Pera square miles inside the country. To defeat this combination took the greatest Civil War in history, and the Negro share was far ers the Indian proletariat or ports of numerous Hindu Mosem merchandise that can in some has no desire to see the same greater than it had been in France. Continued from Page 1) Union by destroying the basis of ganized in their militant trade riots, mostly in the Northern form be acquired in Great Brit thing happen again.
This is the way we must look at history. People who only see What it boils down to is this the workers state and winning a unions as the leaders of the op sections of India that is, where ain will be refused.
Wants No 1914 Repetition Argentina is one of the few countries where Britain still re.
are unable to trace black men in general, being oppressed by white men in general, and the capitalist powers caught in partial respite for themselves by pressed nation. In the city of the hatred of British rule is historical dialectic do not understand anyCawnpore there is now a general deepest and most militantly orDuring the last war, the United tains a large measure of control genuine Marxist, an adhere thing and therefore cannot lead. That is the great value of being a the mesh of the crisis of their opening up Russia for capitaliststrike of all txetile workersganized. It is undeniable that states interests took advantage and the British are fighting hard own system lunged forward into exploitation.
Fourth International. You can study history and understand where we are to today and why and a war among themselves. They This remains the nub of the Bombay, Ahmedabad and other. This is primarily due to the ac dous rate in Latin America. Wall largely linked to the British, ch is threatening to spread to these efforts to pit Hindu against of British preoccupation in Eur to maintain that control. The all know the probable conse. war strategy of the great powers textile centers. This localized tions of the pro British Moslem Street, which prior to 1914 played exerting itself to take advantage Moslem has had some success. ope to forge ahead at a tremen Argentine bourgeoisie, although where we are going tomorrow.
quences. They know war will general strike can easily become BIBLIOGRAPHY bring in its train the revolution that will destroy them all.
The Black Jacobins by James.
in Calcutta, one of the world ialists, and the failure of the was enabled by the war to ad both sides of this fight within the History of Negro Revolt by James.
That is why they hope desper. FIGHT AGAINST THE centers of the jute industry Canarie adershing to prove on tervance by leaps and hounds, while democratic bloe. The weat and The series of articles by George Novack which are now running ately even now to postpone the where millions of sand bags are thon the possibility and need for its British rival was in no posi blood of the Argentine workers in the New International. They are the only Marxist study of the decision and they hope to do it WAR now supposed to be produced for Hindu Moslem unity.
tion to throw capital across the and peasants are just mere items pre Civil War period and they are invaluable.
by transforming the war into an British war needs, 31, 000 Hindu Leave Door Open sea. In the period of the war and of trade to be pushed over the The relevant chapters in Beard Rise of American Civilization. eastward push against the Soviet and Moslem jute workers walk At its latest session the Con the reconstruction that followed counter to the highest buyer.
Indian Workers in Mass Strikes Against British Imperialist War Rule The Unofficial War British Peace Bid which