The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1942-03-20
.Asia's Coolies Must
Be Recognized As
Soldiers of Freedom
BY SCOTT NEARING


| When is coolie not a coolie? An
swer: When he is battling for free
dom.
A recent issue of the London Econ
omist raised this question and com
mented on the unwillingness of Brit
Chinese in Singapore, Burmese in
Burma and Indians In India. ut does
not seem easy for some Britons in
Malaga to regard Chinese or Malays
as allies instead of coolies" notes
the Economist.
not alone in this attitude. The war
cabinet in London is ready to dicker
with India ON terms for independence.
But the one positive result of the
cabinets discussion is to make 1t
clear that the government is not will
India, even with the Japanese in vir-
tual control of Burma. On this issue
Prime Minister Churchill may be
forced to resign
At any time since 1897 it would
have been a simple matter for Britain
and the U. S. to smash Japanese i'm
perial aggression. First, stop ship
ping Japan oil, iron, copper, cotton
an drubber Second, supply the Chi
nese armies with heavy war equip
ment
Neither the British nor the U. S.
f11lifo FOL OH
because the trade with Japan paid
good profits and they were opposed
to arming the Asiatic masses.
Writing on the Far Eastern war
front, the Economist reports: 1.-THE
chronicle of disaster in the Far East
continues" After detailing the de-
feats suffered by the United Nations,
the article concludes: "In fact, the
one promising feature in the whole
war zone is the very successful Chi
nese campaign around Changsha and
the increased military activity in
Hupeh, Honan, Anhwei and Kwang-
tung."
Since these words were written the
Burma road has been partially if not
completely closed. Only through the
Soviet Union can equipment now
reach the Chinese Chungking forces
India contains manpower and ma
tural resources desperately needed by
the British ruling class in defense of
its Asiatic empire. Since the begin
ming of World War II, nearly three
years ago, the British authorities in
India have consistently refused to give
the Indian people any pledge of indie
pendence or to raise and equip an eff
fective Indian army.
Recently the world was treated to
the spectacle of Chang Kai-shek,
spokesman for China, exhorting the |
Indians to stand fast and urging the |
British rulers to grant freedom to |
India. The erstwhile despised Chi |
nese are thus playing the role of |
schoolmaster, and trying to teach |
lesson in freedom to one of the west |
ern democracies.
Burma is an important unit in the |
defense of the British empire in Asia |
against Japanese aggression. The |
Burmese prime minister, U-Saw, re-
Gently made trip to Britain asking
dominion status for Burma. He was
scoffed at, charged with being pro-
Japanese and jailed by the British
Today the press reports
that the Burmese are cooperating
with Japan.
How many more Thailand surrend-
ers, Singapore defeats and Burmese
OBJECTIONS will it take to convince
the British and other ruling classes
that the humble Asiatic coolie of yes
Lerday is a potential soldier of free
dom today? And that any hope of
defeating Japanese imperialists must
rest on the willingness of coolies to
lie for the liberation of Asia from
Ill imperial exploitation?
a