66 andtheethicalstandpoint,it willbedisastroustothink that"our"sidewillbeanymoresuccessfulineliminating byforceofarmstheevilsrepresentedbyRussiantotalitar- ianismthanitwasinthecaseoftheNazis;evenlessso, inallprobability. I t maybethereisnoexitfromthe blindalley,butsurelythefirstconditionforfindingoneis togiveupthesuperficiallesser-evilapproach,withthe supportitimpliesforafuturewaragainstRussia,infavor ofamoreradicalandbasicapproach,beitpacifistorsocial- revolutionaryorperhapssomenewcombinationofboth. TheOneThere isonerift inthedarkcloudsrising BrightSpotthroughouttheworld:thespiritedrebellions ofthepeoplesofIndo-China,Indonesia,and nowIndia.TheIndonesianrevolthasturnedouttobethe mostsuccessfulnativeuprisinginmodernhistory.The turning-pointprobablycametowardstheendofDecember. Fortwomonths,theBritishforcesunderthatgreatLaborite commander,AdmiralLordLouisMountbaten,hadbeen meetingincreasinglyviolentresistancefromtheIndones- ians,andhadreactedtoitwiththeusualmilitaryreflex: rocket-planeattacks,navalbombardments,importationof toughparatroops,reprisalburningsofnativetowns.But then,itappears,theBritishandDutchgovernments,being civiliansandthereforesomewhatmoreintouchwithpoliticalrealities,decidedthattheresistancewasbeingexacer- batedratherthanbroken,andthereforecountermanded Mountbaten'sordersforaneven"firmer"policy.(The intensityofthefeelingforfreedomisindicatedbythefact thatthereare183differentpoliticalgroupingsamongthe IndonesiansN. Y.Times, Feb.25whichhavebeenable nonethelesstopresentasolidfrontagainstDutchrule.) OnFebruary10,theDutchgovernmentofferedIndonesia dominionstatus,withitsownpopularlyelectedparliament, equalcivilrightswithcitizensofthemothercountry,and therightafter a"limitedperiod"notyetspecifiedto votefreelywhethertocontinueinpartnershipwithHoland ortobecomecompletelyindependent.Todate,thisoffer hasnotbeenacceptedbytheleadersofthe"Indonesian Republic"whichheadstherebelion, a factwhichin- dicatesthestrengthbothoftherebels'positionandoftheir justifiedsuspicionsoftheDutch. ThatHistoryisagoddesswithawrysenseofhumorhas oftenbeenremarked.Certainlyshehasrarelyshowna moreironicalspiritthaninthebooby-trapsheriggedup toexposetheshamofBritishLaborParty"socialism."The Indonesianaffairwasonlythebeginning:heretheLaborites foundthemselvesforcedtosuppressacolonialrebellion againsttheDutchlestthewholestructureofimperialism, inwhichtheyhaveaconsiderableinvestment,beshaken. Butnowtheyareconfrontedwith"problems"muchcloser tohome:thefabricoftheBritishEmpire,infact,which BevinhasindicatedhecherishesasdearlyasChurchildid, iscomingapartattheseams.Bloodyriotinghasbroken outinEgypt.Jamaica,India.Sincetheyhavenothingto oferthenativesexcepttheoldhypocriticalpromises (whichinturnisbecausetheBLPlacksanyrealvisionof abetterworld),theLaboritessofarhavereactedwith militaryforce; if theylateronmakeconcessions,asthe Dutchhavedone,itwillbebecausetheysimplycannotdo othTehr ewInised. iansituationisthemostserious.Towardsthe endofFebruarythereoccuredthefirstlarge-scalemutiny ofnativetroopssincethegreatSepoyMutinyofthelast century.Onthe21stthecrewsof alargepartofthe IndianNavymutiniedagainstbadfoodandracialdiscrimination,heldtheiroficerscaptive,andexchangedshots withshorebateries•4cmthe27thsome2,500Sepoytroops BibnotecaGinoBianco polities mutiniedatJubbulpore.Thenavalmutinystimulatedwide- spreadriotinginBombay,withlooting,burning,anda casualtylistrunningintothethousands.Theseriotswere spontaneouspopulardemonstrations,expressingdiscontent withthefailureoftheLaborGovernmenttotakestepsto- wardsIndianindependenceandalsofearoftheimpending faminewhichtheBritishrajhasbeenunabletoavert.The CongressPartyhadnopartinorganizingthem.Indeed, GandhiandtheotherPartyleadersappealedtotherioters torefrainfromviolentaction,whichwasagainsttheParty's principles.PremierAttleeblamedit allon"Communist Agitators",intheclassicreactionaryformulation,anditis unquestionablethatRussiawasdelightedandprobable thathernativefolowerstookanactivepartintheriots. But,asisalwaysthecase,theagitatorscouldonlyagitate successfulybecausetherewassomethingtoworkon.The riotsseemtohavebeenanelemental,formlessoutburst, notarevolutionbutratherasignthatarevolutionmaynot befaroff. ThedepthofthispopularresentmentagainsttheBritish isshownbyitspenetrationintothemilitaryforces.To helpfightthewar,BritaincreatedanIndianArmyofno lessthan2,500,000men,towhomrelativelyhighpaywas givenasaninducementtoenlist(Indiafootedthebill,of course).Nowthishugeforce,onwhichtheLaborgovern- mentdependstopolicesuchtroublespotsasGreece,Syria, Egypt,Indonesia,HongKongandMalayashowssignsof "disaffection."OnFebruary28,thedayaftertheSepoys mutiniedatJubbulpore,GeneralAuchinleck,BritishCom- manderinIndia,announcedthatthewithdrawalofIndian troopsfromIndonesiawasgoinantobegin"tomorrow." Asa N.Y.Times corespondentputit, inwordswhich recallTrotsky'sanalysisofthedecompositionoftheCzarist armyduringthe1917revolution:"Themostdisturbing factoristhatthepersonnelofthearmedforcesarenow beingsubjectedtoallthepoliticalstressesandstrainsthat afectthecivilpopulation." No.IPolitical"Themainpoliticalfactintheworldto- Fact:Hungerdayishunger."TheBritishM.P.whorecentlysaidthisinParliamentwasnotex- aggerating.When Iwrote"StarvationAmerica'sChristmasGifttotheEuropeanPeoples"threemonthsago,the gravityofthefoodcrisiswasnotgenerallyknown;our presshadminimizedit,ourpoliticalleadershadkeptsilent orevenissuedoptimisticreports.Sincethen,eventhemost polities VOLUME3,No.3(WholeNo.26) M A R C H , 1946 Ed;tor:DwightMacdonald Etnt-..ssManagers:DorothyBrumm,NancyMacdonald POLITICSispublishedmonthlyat 45AstorPlace,New York3. N. Y., byPoliticsPublishingCo.Telephone: GRamercy3-1512. Subscription$2.50foroneyear,$4fortwoyears.Add 30eayearforCanada.50eayearforallotherforeign countries.Singlecopy:25c.Mostbackissuesarestillavailable. SpecialrateforservicemenandC.O.'sanywhere:$1.75 aye3r. SubscribersNote: Rtakesus10daystochangeyour address.Pleaseletushavechangesofaddresspromptly. CopyrightMarch,1946,byPoliticsPublishingCo.Entered assecond-classmatterMarch16,19441 at thepostoficeatNewYork,undertheActofMarch3,1879. s5
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