358 presenttheyarebeingofered"communalrepresentation,"but thethreementheymayelecttorepresentthemmustbeEuropeans.Becauseofthislackofanyefectivemeansofexpressing theirgrievancesthroughtheordinarylegislativechannels,the Indianshavebeenforcedtoadoptapolicyofpassiveresistance, inthehopeofdrawingpublicatentiontotheirgrievances. Theirresistancehasbeenmetwithbrutality,bothbythe responsibleauthoritiesandbyorganizedwhitemobswhose activitieshavebeencondonedbythepoliceandmagistrates. TheIndiansadoptedthemethodofsquatingonwastelandin theareaswheretheywereprohibitedfromacquisition.Almost immediately,theywereassaultedbystronggroupsofwhite hooligansarmedwithironbars,woodcudgels,etc.Manyof themwerebeatenuntilunconscious,andonthe21stJunean Indianpoliceman,whohappenedtobenearthesiteinplain clothes,wasbeatensoseverelythathelaterdiedfromhead wounds.Furtherviolentattackstookplaceonthe23rdJune, andthefolowingdescriptionistakenfromtheswornafidavit oftheRev.MichaelScott,aEuropeanclergymanwhohassup- portedtheIndiansintheirstruggle. "AnumberofEuropeansbeganshoutingwhenweappeared andwereseentalkinginexcitedgroups.Afterabouthalfan hourwhistlesandshoutswerethesignalsforaconcerted chargeuponus.AcrowdofEuropeans,numberingabout2530andincludingoneortwowomen,camerunningtowardsus. Someoftheyoungmenweredressedupassportsmenwearing runningshorts.Theywereshouting"Currieguts,""Coolie guts"and"Wedon'twantthe coo l i es here."They immediatelybeganassaultingthevolunteers.Theywere punchedinthefaceandaboutthebodyuntiltheyfelldown andIsawtwoofthembeingkickedwhileontheground." AnIndianwomanwhowaspresentduringanatacklater thesamenightgivesthefolowingstatementofherex- pe " rie I nwc aess : standingwithmygroupwhenwewereattacked. Bolwswereraineduponmybodyandkicksinflicted.Ifellto thegrounddazed.Ipickedmyselfupandagaintheyhitand kickedmeandagainI fell.Theytriedtotearmeapartby pulingmylegsinoppositedirections.Istruggledtomyfeet againandoncemore!wassubjectedtoblowsandkicksinthe stomach.Whilstlyingthereonthegroundtheybeganto searchmeandIheardoneoftheEuropeanssay:`Thesecoolies havelotsofjewelries,let'stakethemaway.'Ihadnojewelry onme.Theythenstoppedassaultingmeandpickedmeupand threwmeinthegutter." Thepoliceappeartohavemadenoatempttointerferewith thesebrutalassaults.Instead,theyjoinedwiththecrowdin makingofensiveremarksabouttheresisters,andeventualy arestedmanyofthelatter.ThoseinjuredIndianswhowere notarestedweretakentohospitalsanddismissedaftertotally inadequatetreatment. Manyoftheresisters,butsofarascanbeascertained,none oftheirassailants,werebroughtbeforetheDurbanmagistrates,whoadoptedawholyhostileatitude.Atfirstshort sentencesofimprisonmentwereimposed,usualysevendays, butlaterheaviersentenceshavebeenawarded.Ironically,the IndianshavebeenimprisonedundertheRiotousAssemblies Act,whereasinfacttheonlyriotousassemblieswerethoseof whitehooliganswhohadgatheredtoattackthem.Oneman, M.D.Naidoo,wassentencedtosixmonths'imprisonment, andnewshassincecomethroughthatmanyotherIndians, aswelastheirEuropeansupporter,theRev.MichaelScot, havebeensentencedtothreemonths'imprisonment. Racialpersecutionofthiskindsemstobemoreinthespirit offascismthanofthedemocracyforwhichtheSouthAfrican governmentclaimstostand.Thetimehascomefortheout- ragedconscienceoftherestoftheworldtobeexpressed,and BibliotecaGinoBianco politics wethereforesuggestthatletersandresolutionscondemning thediscriminationpracticedagainstAfricansandIndiansin SouthAfricashouldbesenttotheSouthAfricanHighCom- missionerinLondon,atSouthAfricaHouse,TrafalgarSquare. HERBERTREAD Chairman,FreedomDefenceCommitee,8Endsleigh Gardens,London,W.C.1,England ScientificMethodand PoliticalAction THEmassédfactsofsociologyarestunningintheirweight, numberandcomplexity.Surelyitwouldseemthatwith althisinformationonhand,weshouldbeabletoestablish withreasonableaccuracythemeanstowardsomeagreedend say,democraticsocialism;yetitisatruismthatthenumber ofproposedmeansequalsthenumberofpeopleworking towardthatend. Whythisshouldbehasbeenamajorsubjectofdiscussion amongsocialistsforsometime.Theconclusionrecently reachedinPOLITICSbyitseditor,thatthefaultliesinthe methoditself,canbetakenasapolaroppositetotheusual chargeandcounter-chargeof"failuretointerpretthefacts correctly." Itisthewriter'sopinionthattherealdifficulty,intrue dialecticalfashion,liesinthemiddle.Firstandgreatestofthe limitationsofscientificmethodinpoliticsistheactualpoverty ofusefulfacts.Forsocomplicatedaproblemassocialrelationships,thequantityofavailableinformationisnotnearly sogreatasitappearstobe;andmuchofwhatweareasked toconsiderasdataforscientificoperationturnsouttobeonly reportsofachainofbiasedobserversandrecorders,reportsof eventsoccuringunderspecialconditionswecannotduplicate, andsoon.ThisseemstobetheessenceofDamonKnight's recentletter:thatsociologyasascienceisrootedinother sciences,particularlypsychologyandsemantics,andcannotbe expectedtoproducestablesystemsfromhalf-bricksandold botle-tops. Secondly,scientificmethoddealswithpremisesaswelas withmeansandends.Indeed,ithardlydealswithEndsatall asweareaccustomedtousethatwordinpolitics.Marxism, famousforitspro-scientificattitude,isoneofthefewsocial theoriesofthepastfivecenturieswhichhasdealtwithendsas primaryfactors.Spengler,Toynbee,SilasMcKinley,Sorel, Paretoandahostofothersneverpretendedtoexaminewhat isdesirableforthefuture.Theyhopedsimplytomakesome understandablepaternofthesocialfactsattheirhands(and considerinthelightofthepreviousparagraphthenumber ofthosefactsSpenglerfelt itnecessarytoinclude!),toex- plain how thingshappened.Theysoughtpremises,fromwhich fact-relationshipscouldbededuced.Socialismwentfarther;it notonlyexaminedanddeduced,butitundertooktocrusade forsomedesirableend,onthebasisofwhatithaddiscovered. Thatthiswashighcouragenoonecanquestion.Thatitwas amiserablefailuresemsequalyincontrovertible.Theblame feluponMarx,uponbadfaithonthepartofindividualMarx- ists,uponmisinterpretation,almostanywherebuttheevident place.Spengler etal werenohelp;theyhadalternativeprem- isesthatweregoodhereandweakthere,andnoencouragement foranyonewhowantedto do something,tochangethepat- tern.Whateveronemayfeelabouttheatomicbomb,the
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