The "Blessing" of Empire: Do the Colonies Still Pay?, by War Commentary (1939)
Article from the anarchist periodical ‘War Commentary’, December 1939, London, UK
It is generally accepted by the average man or woman in this country that British Imperialism, far from being imposed on the native peoples in the colonies, is welcomed by them, and these opinions are strengthened at the present time by the propaganda launched by most of the British Press on the “loyalty of the Empire.” The “Daily Telegraph,” for instance, refers to the recent visit of representatives of the British Empire in the following terms:
“Cabinet Ministers and representatives of the Dominions and India are now assembled in London … to consider … how best each nation in the British Commonwealth can contribute to the common task of vindicating the cause of Freedom. The Dominions are not suffering from British exploitation. Each determines its own policy. Their millions of people, their great resources are on our side because, as the Prime Minister of Canada has put it, they are convinced that only by the destruction of Hitlerism can the nations of the British Commonwealth continue to enjoy their present liberties and the world be saved from a descent to barbarism.”
It should be noted that (either by accident or intelligently) the Editor of the Daily Telegraph omitted INDIA when referring to exploitation, though he quite definitely made a distinction between “THE DOMINIONS and INDIA” in the previous sentence. That subtle (or accidental) distinction happens to be only too true. The great mistake made in this country is to consider Canada or Australia as being typical examples of British Imperialism. Unfortunately the population of the self-governing Dominions is but one-seventh of the total population of the British Empire!
Another attitude to the colonial question is that British occupation of India, for instance, is essential owing to the racial and religious hatred that exists in that country. In other words, “we are policing India for the benefit of the Indians”! This is no exaggeration. The Times, in an editorial “India’s Part in the War,” gives this point of view:
“The Secretary of State and the Viceroy both insist that responsible self-government in India in the form of Dominion status is still the eventual goal of constitutional reform; but the root difficulty at the present time is that there does not exist in India that unity which must be the basis of representative self-government… That cleavage of opinion makes it impracticable … to embark on the framing of a Federal scheme… ”
(An absurd argument when one tries to seek “unity ” in countries like Britain, where half of the electorate is in the opposition and has no representation in the Government!)
Again, the Times editorial of October 18th makes extraordinary reading. Once more to grant freedom to India through the Congress Party would constitute “an injustice to other very important interests, the Moslem community among them.” (A policy of “Divide and Rule ” traditionally favoured by British Imperialism). If progress towards self-government has been slow continues the Times it is “due chiefly to Indian disunion.”! Similar arguments are used in the correspondence columns of the press, save rare exceptions such as the Manchester Guardian.
The outstanding feature therefore of British Imperialist propaganda is that the British are protecting the native peoples from invasion by some marauding Nazis or other piratical hordes! Of course British Imperialism does not ruthlessly exploit labour and raw materials in India, or Africa, or Jamaica! It is only their love for the Indians and Africans that keeps them there. After all, it was only the ill-treatment of the British minority that compelled the British to massacre the Boers, and not the lure of their diamond mines!
THE SHAREHOLDERS PARADISE
But when in doubt, the best thing is to consult the financial columns of the Press. Almost every day company meetings are held in London, at which the chairman has the satisfaction of informing avid shareholders that he can once again report that their mine in India, or Rhodesia or Johannesburg, wherever it may be, has provided them with substantial returns for their investments. Examples are unending.
At the Annual meeting of the “Malayan Plantations” the chairman announced that the profit on Rubber and Tea amounted to £238,751 and a dividend of 10 per cent was proposed and readily accepted. Continuing, this patriotic Empire builder, announced that “it was impossible to forecast what effect the war might have on the rubber industry, but it was hoped, in the interests of labour and of Government revenue in the Empire producing countries and of shareholders there and in Gt. Britain that such arrangements as might be made would permit of a reasonably remunerative price for the product being maintained.”
The “Tanganyika Concessions” showed a profit of £139,489 of which the preference dividend takes £92,231 (not a bad return for idleness!) The Anglo-Burma Tin showed a profit of £16,370, and the Trinidad Petroleum Development £181,074 with a mere 15 per cent return to investors. The “Pahang Consolidated Co. Ltd.” also had a good year in their tin mine returns. Profit £92,686 and a dividend of 10 per cent on ordinary shares.
Other tin mines are also lucrative propositions. The Amalgamated Tin Mines of Nigeria show a profit for the September quarter of £180,478 against £57,229 for the June quarter. For Ampat Tin Dredging the corresponding rise is from £5,701 to £20,256, Southern Kinta from £37,761 to £94,199.
But the most spectacular figures are provided by the “Rhokana Corporation Limited.” Money invested in Rhodesia amounted to £1,896,294 and their holdings in Mufulira Copper Mines was valued at £3,496,525 and the market value of their holding in Nehanga Consolidated Copper Mines Ltd. was £3,629,922. The profits were £2,107,062 and the dividend for the year 50 per cent. The previous year’s dividend amounted to 62 per cent! (All the figures given above have been obtained from the “Daily Telegraph ” between August and November, 1939.)
No mention has yet been made of British investments in India. From the Daily Telegraph we learn that “India sends over annually 300,000,000 pounds of tea to the United Kingdom. The tea industry in India and Ceylon represents an investment of over £120 million of British capital.”
In an article by the city editor of the Evening Standard further proof is given that India is an asset and not a liability. He states that between 1932 and 1935 the Bengal and North Western Company paid dividends on its ordinary stock of 16 per cent and in the last two years has increased them to as much as 18 per cent. The Indian Iron and Steel Co., which held its annual meeting in September reported a profit for distribution of Rs. 43,13,036/- and proposed a dividend of 15 per cent. But the shareholders wanted their full pound of flesh and demanded 20 per cent!
Disturbances followed and in the words of the Telegraph “in view of the general disagreement and many interruptions there appeared no chance of proceeding to dispose of business.” And whilst these vultures quarrel over their prey, the natives are obliged to suffer from undernourishment, inadequate sanitary precautions and the basic needs of life. Whilst our politicians prattle about the loyalty of the Empire (meaning the princes and other hirelings of British Imperialism) the native worker toils for a miserable wage.
In South Africa there are 2 million whites and 6 million natives. Whereas the white man earns an average annual wage of £214 the Natives earn an average of £40. Disease in many parts threatens to wipe out the population.
The Evening Standard (22/4/39) publishes the statement by Dr. B. A. Dewer of the King George Government Hospital at Springfield, Natal, in which he declares:
“Before the coming of the white man, tuberculosis was unknown to the native. Now there are 15,000 native cases of disease in Natal. Unless we do something immediately the native population of Natal ill be wiped out completely.”
Prof. Gangulee in “Health and Nutrition in India” (published by Faber & Faber) makes the amazing disclosure that 80 per cent of the native population is suffering from hookworm, due to under-nourishment. And did not the Government Commission recently make known the results of its investigations in the colonies, where it discovered that 80 per cent of the colonial peoples were underfed? These are the “blessings” of British Imperialism. These are the “privileges” which the Indian, African, Jamaican, Arab and so many other native workers, under British (and French) domination are expected to defend with their lives.
(These are only the material “privileges.” In a future article the moral “advantages” of British Imperialism, concentration camps in Palestine and the ruthless shooting down of strikers, imprisonment without trial, etc., will also be discussed with facts as in the present article.)