Sometimes even those who are sympathetic question whether the Movement for Colonial Freedom is still necessary. Has not liberation been won? Why push at an open door? Certainly, vast progress has been made, The number of politically dependent people under British rule has been reduced from five hundred million to thirty-five million since the war. Two thirds of Africa now consists of sovereign states. Good; but the toughest struggle has to be won. Southern Africa is still held in subjection. Rhodesia, Angola, Mozambique, South West Africa, the Republic of South Africa —one has only to list them to indicate the formidable task ahead. Another stern issue remains on the American continent. British Guiana is nominally a British colony. In the last decade America has influenced events more than Britain. At no price would it allow independence under a Jagan Government: money and personnel poured in, (and the British Colonial Office became America’s tool. There is another colony on American soil, British Honduras, and there are the “little eight” islands in the West Indies not yet free and federated. There are numerous islands in the Pacific and other seas still London-ruled. The achievement of political freedom is far from con cluded. But political freedom is not the only aim of M.C.F. Nor are the British colonies our only concern. Whilst the economy of the developing nations is owned by alien financiers and foreign military bases remain on their soil their peoples cannot be free. (As Socialists we must add that they will not be free until they have got rid of homecapitalism also.) This wider conception of colonial freedom extends our task formidably. For,example, the whole of Southern Africa, from Lusaka to Cape Town, including Katanga and Mozambique, is a huge economic empire owned by a group of British, Belgian, American and South African interlocked companies. After political independence
has been gained, after Apartheid has been destroyed, the mineral wealth must be won by the people. Perhaps in South Africa the two revolutions will be simultaneous. Immediately, with Rhodesia, our agitation is concentrated on Vietnam and Malaysia. The American role in Vietnam is an- outrage against humanity and the whole labour movement should be protesting fiercely, We are hurt because our Government left it to U Thant Shastri, De Gaulle, Tito, and liberals in America (not to mention Russia and China) to speak out. No doubt Harold Wilson and Michael Stewart exerted diplomatic pressure, but America only stepped up its military intervention. We think back to Attlee and his visit to Truman which stopped America bombing China during the Korean war. Britain itself has 50,000 troops in South East Asia, mostly in Malaysia. There have been continuing opportunities for a political settlement. A promising opportunity is opening up now. There is a vacuum in Labour’s policy here. It is all very well to say that we must have peace-keeping forces east of Suez. The way to peace is not an army but the removal of the causes of hostility. We do not condone Indonesia’s military infiltration, but Sukarno has made repeated offers of negotiations under impartial sponsorship. This whole area must be disengaged from the power bloc struggles, and this must involve the progressive withdrawal of our forces and bases. We should seize the chance to prepare for an accepted transformation to the new free association of peoples without foreign intervention. On all these issues the Movement for Colonial Freedom is continuously active through public meetings, the distribution of thousands of leaflets, a constant stream of speakers to Labour Parties and trade unions. At the House of Commons we have standing committees, with M.P.’s as chairmen, on every sphere; they have done much to bring knowledge and pressures. Our affiliated membership is over three million; national trade unions, constituency Labour Parties, trades councils, trade union
branches are affiliated. We have done
much to alert the labour movement.
Our need is more and more help
from the great body of Labour
opinion which is with us on these
issues. They are urgent, as Rhodesia
and South East Asia show. They are
fundamental and continuing, as the
military and economic domination
of other peoples show. Imperialism
is the handmaid of capitalism and it
is ngt dead; it is suffering blows but
they are not yet fatal. We ask you to
join us in our gigantic task. Our
secretary, John Eber, will expect to
hear from you at 374 Gray’s Inn Rd.,
London, W.C.1.