OCTOBER,1946 313 variouspartsofthecity,includingatacksupongovernment buildingsandpolicestations,atemptsatarson,andassaults upongovernmentservants.Theoficialaccountlisted4dead and33injuredamongthedemonstratorsand10hurtamong theSpuondlicaeyw. asquiet.Britishmilitaryunitspatrolledthescene ofviolence.Congressmemberswerepresentalso,appealingto thepeopletogoabouttheirafairsasusual.Theincidents wereended. AsignificantaspectoftheKarachieventswasthatthe people,HindusandMuslimsalike,actedindisobedienceof theirlocalandnationalleaders,allofwhomhadcaledupon thenavymentoendthestrikewhiledeclaringtheirsupport ofthestrikers'demands.Apparentlythepopulartemperwas soanti-Britishthattheusualrestraintscouldnotavail.This defianceoftheirleadersisnot,however,tobeinterpretedas evidenceofanideologicalgulfbetweentheIndianpeopleand theirrepresentativesinthestruggleagainsttheBritish,for thedefiancewasbutshort-livedandtheleadersarenotsus- pectedofsoftheartednessintheirattitudetowardGreat BrOitaniner . easonCongressaskedformoderationwasthatduring theweekoftheviolenceitwasannouncedthatacabinet missionwouldleaveEnglandtodiscussanewconstitution withIndianleaders.Comingontheheelsofthesedisquieting actsofIndiansailors,soldiersandcivilians,thecabinetmembersmusthavegainedavividimpressionofthemoodof theIndianpeople.ThismayaccountforthesurprisinggenerositytheBritishsubsequentlydisplayed,intheirnegotiations withIndianleaders. Alittle-reportedaspectoftheweek'seventswasthat HindusandMuslimsactedincommon,outsidetheformal oppositionoftheleadersofbothgroups.Thisfact,too,could nothaveescapedthevisitingstatesmen,ortheIndianleaders themselves.Itwouldsemobviousthatacampaignagainstthe BritishinIndiawouldenlistthesympathyandactiveparticipationofallsectionsoftheIndianpeople,regardlessofthe diferencesthatmayexistamongtheirrepresentatives.Until theBritishleaveIndiatherewillbemanycasesofspontaneous violencethere,atfirstnotostensiblyforindependence,but then,asdespairturnsintorage,ontheissueofindependence itself.IndiaislikelytobecomeagraveyardofBritishtroops andoficials,agravestonetoimperialistintransigeance. MOKROEBERGER Siloles'Resignation FROMItalytherehascomerecentlythenewsthatIgnazio Silonehasresignedtheeditorshipof Avanti, organofthe ItalianSocialistParty,andhasusedtheoccasiontouttera denunciationofthetotalitariantendencieswhichseemtobe linkedinevitablywiththedevelopmentofmasspolitical parties.Thefolowing resume ofSilone'sarticleisquotedfrom theFrenchnewspaper, Combat, whichreportedSilone'sresig- nationinitsissueofthe18thJulylast. "These(themassparties)canrepresent,fordemocracy,the samedangerasthetrustsineconomy.Theytendintheinterioroftheirorganisationstowardsanoligarchicalregime, towardstheconeptrationofthedirectionofthepartyamong BibliotecaGinobianco thehandsofafewleaders,linkedtoeachotherbythesolidar- ityofgangsterchiefstowardstheoutsideworld.Theseparties gainmoreandmoreholdoverpublicopinion. "Itisuselesstocombatmonopolyintheeconomicorder andtoprotectitinpolitics,forpoliticsexercisesamoreand moredirectinfluenceoneconomiclife:onekindoftrust wouldthussimplybereplacedbyanother. "Onecannotbecontent,concludedSilone,withproclaimingpatheticaly,asisdoneinFrance,therightsoftheindi- vidual.Libertyisnotmenacedonlyintherealmofideas:that menaceislinkedorganicalywithcertainaspectsofmodern colectivelife. It isnotnecessaryheretocontesttheparliamentaryrightofthevictoriouspartiestoformaministryand togovern,butitisnecessarytoproclaimtherightofcitizens whohavedifferentopinionsorwhohavenoneatall;they shouldnotbepushedtotheedgeofpubliclife,norconsideredasorphancitizensorpariahs.TheroleoftheConstituent Assemblyshouldrealybetostruggleagainstthefatality whichsemstopushthemasspartiesontheroadtototali- tari I annism." Freedom wehavepaidparticularatentioninanumber ofarticlestotheactivitiesofSilone,whosewritingsinthe pasthavebeencharacterisedbyadeeplylibertariantrendof thought.WewereshockedwhenSilonereturnedtotheactive lifeofapartyleader,andexpressedourdisapproval,butwe alsorefusedtobelievethatthefineideasofSilone'sbookshad beenexpelledwholyfromhislife. Wehavebeenatleastpartlyjustified.Silonehasseenfrom withinthecoruptionofItalianpoliticallife,hasdetectedthe totalitarianismimplicitintheactionsofallparties,evenof theleft.Hehasresignedfromhisinfluentialpoliticalpost, andhasmadehisdenunciationofthetendencieswhichheregardsasdangerous.But,whilewearegladtoseethischange inattitude,weregardSilone'sreservationsasillogical. Ifthe maspartiesaretobeallowedtoholdpower,ashesuggests inthelastparagraphofthequotation,thenhowcantherights ofothersbesafeguarded?Thetraditionalruleofnumbersin anyassemblyorparliamentcanonlypreservethedomination ofthelargepartymachinesandconfirmtheirtotalitarian tendencies. Silone,infact,hasreachedacriticalpointinhisdevelop- ment.Ifheistobecomeonceagainasignificantsocialthinker, hecannotremainpoisedbetweentheideasofauthorityand liberty.Theonlylogicalterminationofhisdenunciationof partypoliticswouldbearealisationthatsuchevilsareinher- entinpoliticallife,andthatallmovementswhichstruggle forpoliticalpowerwilbecoruptedbytotalitarianism.Unless heproceedstothisrealisation,andabandonspoliticsaltogether,Silonemustdeclineintoaminorornamentofthe Socialistmovement,toohonesttobecomepowerful,toodividedtobeofanyusetothecauseoffreedom.Ontheother hand,ifonlyherealisestotheirfullthelibertarianimplicationsofhisownpastwritingsandpresentactions,hemayyet beavaluablethinkerandfighterforfreedom. GEORGEWOODCOCK (Reprintedfrom"FreedomthroughAnarchism" (London),August10.) ONWARDANDUPWARDAtBIKINI AmongscientistscommentingtodayonMonday'stestwasProf. SimyonAlexandrovoftheSovietUnion."Thetestwasconducted briliantlyandtheexplosionwasobviouslyterrific,"hesaid,."butthe airblastwasratherweak."Dr.Alexandrovaddedthatengineers "shouldbeputtoworktogetahighdegreeofefficiencyfromthe bomb."("N.Y.Tiznes"storyfromBikini,July5.) Thenumberoflivepigsandgoats,evenonthe"Nevada,"startled us,butonlearningthattheanimalswouldbedeadwithinafew days,everybodyfeltbetter.Thestorywasstillhot;thebombwas stillthebiggestthingofalltime.(ReportbyAlanHarringtonin"The NewRepublic"forJuly15.)
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