Mr. Gresham Cooke, Tory MP for Twickenham, is a worried man. Apart from bemoaning the cost of the police sent to ensure that the Springboks matches take place, he sees a hidden danger to Britain's democracy. Indeed in the House of Commons on December 18th, he was so concerned that he asked for section against the VSC and IMG. The following is the exchange between Mr. Gresham Cooke and Mr. Callaghan:
MR. G. COOKE.—Is it not disgraceful that this riotous assembly is costing the police, the ratepayers and the clubs tens of thousands of pounds? If groups like the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign and the International Marxist Group are inciting violence, should they not be prosecuted under the Public Order Act, 1936, which makes it an offence to organise a display of force in pursuance of political ends?
MR. CALLAGHAN.—I would not dream of answering the last part of that question without notice. As regards the rest, demonstrations do take up a lot of police time and money.
For Messrs. Callaghan and Gresham Cooke's information, the following is the text of our very modest leaflet distributed at Springboks matches in Scotland (the VSC has only publicised its forth[illegible]):
SOUTH AFRICA—WHERE IMPERIALISM MEANS RACISM
[illegible] taken to try to stop the tour of the apartheid rugby team. We believe that socialists in Britain have the elementary duty to protest against this white supremacist regime. In particular we completely support those who take militant action to stop these games and reject the arguments of the hypocrites who claim to oppose apartheid but spend more time attacking the tactics of the demonstrators.
But we should understand that such protests are in themselves insufficient. Many would have us believe that South Africa is just an island of intolerance in a sea of hostility. On the contrary, it is one of the fastest-growing economies in the capitalist world, whose trade with the advanced countries has boomed for many years. As such, it has attracted huge investments, of which the biggest share, over £1,000 million, is held by British capitalists.
For these foreign capitalists, the apartheid system has many advantages. One prominent British business man was recently featured extolling the virtues of cheap South African labour. Thus the Nationalist rulers play a key role on behalf of imperialism. By ensuring a plentiful supply of cheap and adaptable labour they help to guarantee the enormous profits which are to be made in South Africa.
It is precisely because of the close links between the apartheid system and world imperialism that we can say definitely that the only struggle which will liberate the black masses of South Africa will be the struggle for the socialist revolution.
Meanwhile the arch-hypocrites in the British government who pretend to oppose apartheid actually encourage trade and investment in the racists' paradise.
There should be no illusions about the way in which the apartheid system will be overthrown. Demonstrations, picket lines, etc, will highlight the situation, but will not change it. The South African racists and their imperialist backers will do anything to keep themselves in the saddle. This is not an unusual characteristic of imperialism, as the present extended struggle in Vietnam shows.
In 1960 the African people of Sharpeville learnt this lesson the hard way when they were massacred as they demonstrated peacefully against the Pass Laws. Since then almost all sections of the opposition have accepted the necessity for armed struggle based on the support of the African peasants and workers.
Because of the strength of British imperialist interests in South Africa, British socialists have a particular duty to assist this struggle. We must popularise their case, organise material and political support, and prepare for the day when massive assistance to the emerging South African socialist revolution will be the order of the day.
NO BRITISH INVESTMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA!
(Published by: International Marxist Group, c/o Stewart, 52 Belmont Street, Glasgow W.2, & c/o Miller, 35 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh 1.)