The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-08-22
Padmore Sups 'Oith Kings and Emperors
Discussion the Negro Question for the Seventh World Congress
of the Communist International

the foreign capitalists against the
majority of the people of Ethiopia.
For this reason he is afraid of the
revolt of the masses. Padmore
unwittingly admits as much when
he prepares the following excuse
for the Emperor's army:
I'm order to better cope with
the problems of reform suppress
any rising Of the masses-J.WF.1
the whole state apparatus has
undergone drastic changes. A
well-disciplined, centralized army,
loyal and devoted to the person of
the Emperor, is the only force
capable of guaranteeing PEACE
AND ORDER"
But the bourgeois rule must be
secured by future bourgeois leaders
and trained militarists. So Padmore
says, In order to avoid the danger
Of open revolt and possible over
throw the Emperor is adopting
policy of 'gradualisrn,' is sending
young students abroad to be trained
in the military sciences in France,
Italy, England and the United
States" and is also inviting young
American Negro specialists to Etni-
opia. Who doubts that some day
Padmore himself will not be part
of this fascist set-up?
According to Padmore, Ethiopia is
the last remaining independent
black state in Africa not bound by
any such Vaccinations as the Fire
stone Company in Liberia, and he
racks his brain in vain and hope
lessly to find out how Ethiopia is
to keep herself free from i'm
perialism and international finance
capital. How can the rich natural
resources, ores, minerals, raw prod
ucts, ETC., of Ethiopia be developed
without flooding the country with
foreign capitalist exploiters? There
is no way out, concludes Padmore
Whether the Ethiopian ship
will arrive at its destination
safely, only history will tell"
But Padmore has his way out for
Ethiopia. Despite his mounting
about the independence Of Ethiopia
from foreign domination, he is
forced to admit the domination OF
foreign capitalists over Ethiopia
and he sees in them way out.
"a FEW CONCESSIONS have
been given to foreign capitalists.
| A French company is working
platinum mines; while an Italian
company is exploiting potash de-
posts Three Belgian COM
panies are cultivating coffee, and
French syndicate is developing
cotton. The only railroad is
owned by the French Ethiopian
company but the manage
ment is largely in the hands of
the French
The way to pursue this path ac-
cording to Padmore, is by utilizing
the deep-rooted jealousies and eco
nomic contradictions between thest
imperialist powers Padmore trie;
to prostitute for petty bourgeois ma.
tionalists uses the proletarian in.
ternationalism of Lenin, who speak:
about utilizing the contradictions o.
imperialist powers for the benefit O.
the revolutionary movement.
| However, with the world set III
as it is today, with the imperialist.
choking and strangling the Ethio
plan masses, this idiotic talk abou
utilizing imperialist contradiction
is the height of nonsense.
In the case of Ethiopia or an,
semi-independent country today, il
the period of wars and revolutions
the contradictions of imperialism
lead only to two conclusions q
imperialist nations struggling t.
gobble up Ethiopia, and (2)
the organization of the masses
on the basis of their economic mis-
cry and oppression to fight for tn
overthrow of bourgeois imperialis
domination. The path of indie
rendence and liberation for Ethio
pia and the liberation of the masse
lies in the latter road.
But P a d m ore contemptuousl
ignores the masses of Ethiopia; h
completely ignores the path laid on
by the Soviet Union; he ignore
the significance Of the growth G