WHITSUN MARCH PLANNED IN DENMARK
CCPENHAGEN -- Young antifascists picketed the Hotel Richmond in blizzard weather March 20 to shout angry slogans against fashionably dressed guests, The ritzy hotel had staged a Spanish festival to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of Franco's fascist regime,
Each time an automobile drew up to the entrance, the chant grew louder: "Down with Franco," "Call Off the Fascist Festival," "Hang the Nazis," These were some of the milder slogans, Oo
Police were present in great numbers, After demonstrators tried to enter the hotel and distribute leaflets there, police carried them across the street.
Participants in the demonstration included members of the DKU [Young Communist League], SUF [Young Socialist Forum], Group 61 [an activist organization], the RS [Revolutionary Socialists -- Danish Section of the Fourth International] and Volunteers of the Spanish Civil War, The flag of the latter organization was the rallying center of the demonstration,
The picketing made headlines in the Copenhagen press, What happened the next night was even more spectacular. During the
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‘tMolody Grand Prix," a young man evaded heavy police guards, walked onto the set and unfurled a banner that read: "Boycott Franco and Salazart"
Plain-olothes cops placed all over the hall prevented any further actions.
The Danish TV had been warned of the planned demonstration and had taken all possible precautions, including the extraordinary police turnout, but the young antifascist nevertheless succeeded in getting through to the TV cameras,
On March 22, the very next day, new demonstrations occurred, This time. they wore directed against reactionary policies of the Danish government. It is estimated that about 400,000 persons (out of a population of 4,500,000) have been blacklisted for "subversive" political activities. In protest against the use of these seoret police files, thousands of people. joined in marches. Both in Copenhagen and Aarhus (the next biggest city) large-scale demonstrations were held, All the newspapers carried headlines and editorials about it -- many of them condemning the political police and the very unpopular Minister of Justice Hans Haekkerup.
These events were “forerunners for the "Whitsun March," Harald Spbye, a Protestant clergyman, launched the idea in a sermon he preached against capitalism, NATO and the monarchy.
Being a civil servant -- the Evangelical Lutheran church is supported by the state -- the Rev. Soébye was suspended and a trial against him is in progress, During his suspension, he is holding services at a local inn where hundreds..of people come to participate in. the political discussions after the sermon,
There are good reasons to believe that the projected march will receive strong support from all sectors of the socialist move~ ment, <A sommittee has been set up to.begin preparations, It has received encouraging backing from trade-union locals as well as. ~ political groupings, antifascist organizations and youth movements. It is hoped that foreign organizations will be able to send observers,
For information about the Whitsun March, write to:
Blovstrdédkomiteen
Blovstrod pr, Allerod
Denmark
THE SANCTIONS SHOW WHO SUPPORTS SOUTH AFRICA'S "APARTHEID".
By Franz J. T, Lee
In December 1958 the All-African Peoples Conference, held in Accra, called for a world-wide trade and diplomatic boycott of South Africa, The call was renewed by the Afro-Asian Solidarity Conference, held in Conakry in April 1960, which was attended by fifty delegates from various African and Asian countries, including China, ‘the Soviet Union and other workers states,
Although the liberation of the masses of South Africa will ultimately be achieved by the South African people themselves, yet. such outside demonstrations of solidarity and support, when they ~ are sincere, are welcomed by the African freedom fighters,
‘In June 1960, the ministers from ten politically independent -African states met at Addis Ababa and adopted a ten-point program for sanctions against South Africa, This program called for barring air and scaports to the South African flag, expulsion, of South Africa from the British Commonwealth of: Nations, the banning of the "sale of Arab oil to South Africa" and intensification of action by the United Nations to include direct intervention,
Prime Minister Hendrik F, Verwoerd retaliated swiftly with a massive build up of military power, Since 1960, military expenditures for the armed forces have increased from R80, 000,000 to R208,000,000 Lone rand = $1.40]. The all-white Permanent Force was. inereased from 9,000 to “15, 000 within four years. A Citizen Force of 40,000 and a Commando network in which every white male had to serve for four consecutive years were called into existence. The forces received modern arms; and armament factories were built in South Africa. Air-to-ground missiles, saracens, troop carriers, pistols, ammunition, etc., were pought from. England, the United States, France, West Germany and Switzerland, Closer ties were developed with the fascist-like governments in Angola, Mozambique and Southern Rhodesia,
In April 1965, various African ministers again held a confer~ ence at Addis Ababa. . They called for the immediate implementation and enforcement of their own trade and diplomatic boycotts, They further decided to launch a campaign for the expulsion of South Africa from all international organizations, including those con-. cerned with cultural and sports exchanges, a
In February 1963, the African members of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa forced the resignation of South Africa from that body, In July, Kenya, which was host to the UN Conference on Cartography, refused to admit the South African delegates into the country. In August, due to pressure from the African delegations, the South African delegation was "invited" to withdraw from the UN Conference on Tourism, South Africa was excluded from the thirteenth
session of the African Regional Conference of the World Health Organization, In September, the delegates from the African coun= tries walked out of the Conference of the Food and Agricultural Organizations when this gathering failed to exclude South Africa, In the same month, at a meeting of the International Monetary Fund in Washington, the African delegates protested against the presence of the South-African Finance Minister. In October, a similar walkout resulted at the International Air Transport Association meeting, ‘South African participation in the Coming Olympic games in Tokyo has been made conditional, due to efforts to compel South Africa to abandon the apartheid policy in sports, The African Boycott
Algeria announced a total boycott of South Africa on April 30, 1963, and at the same time broke off all relations with Portugal,
Cameroun closed its sea and airports to South Africa on July 12.
Ethiopia, which had no “diplomatic relations with South Africa, announced a total trade boycott and closed her air space to South African planes.
Ivory Coast closed her sea and airports on July 16 to South African aircraft. : .
Libya closed her air and seaports on August 31 and denied overflying rights to South Africa,
Mauritania also closed her air and seaports and announced | a trade boycott. of South Africa,
Sudan had already. broken. off. trade relations with South Afrioa in 1962 and followed this by closing her air and seaports,
Tanganyika announced a total direct- and indirect trade boyoott on South Africa on September 30. a
Uganda placed a boycott on South African goods in November 1962 and has now banned all exports to South Africas.
The United Arab: ‘Republic denied overflying rights to South Oo Africa on August 7 and announced the breaking off of all economic relations on September 23. South African ships were banned from UAR ports and UAR vessels were instructed not to call at South African ports, South Africa can still use the Suez Canal but is denied. all facilities.
By September 30, 1963, Congo (Leopoldville), Dahomey, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia. and Tunisia had. all informed United Nations Secretary General U, Thant that they had fully complied with the November 1962 resolution
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of the General Assembly.
Trade with the rest of. Africa still remains important, About 11% of South Africa's exports go to these countries. The size of this trade is indicated by the. following table:
. South Africats Trade with ‘New; boring Countries
(In millions of pounds sterling, 1 = two rands.)
. e
Imports to South Africa Exports from South Africa
January-August January-August
1962 1963 . 1962 1963 Congo . - 7.9 6.5 - 2.9 27 — Rhodesias and . Nyasaland 9,0 10,5 52,5 28,2 Mozambique _0.8 200 BD
Total 17.7 19,0 40,2 56.
Se aaeeameead ed . et ee
aie The Asian Boycott
In May 1963, Burma did not renew a contract for the purchase of 300,000 tons of coal from South Africa, On July 13, India refused landing and passage facilities to South African aircraft, hence outing off the remaining links with South Africa. Indonesia cut off all commercial and diplomatic relations with South Africa and closed her seaports. In October, Kuwait broke off diplomatic relations with South Africa, announced a trade boycott and closed its sea and air- ports to the apartheid flag, In August, the Philippine government announced a ban on strategic materials, Exports of hard woods to South Africa, a trade valued at R4,000,000 annually, was abandoned « Malaya also took definite boycott steps.
Japan, Ceylon, Pakistan and the oil-producing countries of the Middle East have taken no action, Japan alone handles well over 7% of South Africats exports. Ceylon's exports to South Africa -mainly tea and rubber «=~ increased between 1962 and 1963, South. Africa imports oil worth R36,000,000 a year from Iran’, In addition to certain countries in Latin America and Europe, South Africa im-~ ports oil from Aden, the Bahrein Islands and Saudi Arabia.
The trade with this area is indicated by the following table? ”
Pia
South Africa's Trade with Certain Asian Countries
‘(In millions of pounds sterling. £1 = two rands,)
Imports to South Africa Exports from South Afrioa
January~August January=August
1962. ~. 1963........ .. . 1962 L963
Ceylon ; 342 4.2 1.2 0,4 Japan 14,0 18,5 23,49 21.7 Hong Kong. 1,6. 2.6 2,7 2.6 Tran .. 2,1 10,9 0.9 0,2 Pakistan. 6.7 4,1 0.6 0.2 Philippines oPrs) 0.5 1.7 1.5 Saudi Arabia 1.3 038 ~- - Aden 305 bed ~ -
Measures Taken by Workers States
In 1961 the Soviet Union was-a big purehaser of South African wool, In the following year, the Soviet trade organizations were instructed not to buy any South African products any more. . All Soviet political and diplomatic relations with South Africa have long been broken.
In 1961 the People's Republic of China ‘broke off all trade rela- ‘tions with South Africa. Early in 1963 South Africa exported R2,000,000 worth of corn (maize) to China, Recently the Chinese government explained that these imports were made through Hong Kong and British intermediaries, At present the Chinese have completely banned all products from South Africa,
In July 1968 Czechoslovakia closed its consular offices in Johannesburg and broke off adl trade relations with South Africa,
On July 12 Hungary cut off all economic relations with South Africa, In June the German Democratic Republic severed trade relations and since October 20 has barred South African ships from its ports, Albania, Bulgaria, Cuba, Mongolia, Rumania and the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic have similarly complied with the November resolution of the United Nations, — The Imperialiat Stake
The following table shows quite clearly the role the big scapitalistic countries play in preserving the Herrenvolk regime in South Africa:
we DQBn
South Africa's Trade with Certain "Free World" Countries
(in millions of pounds sterling, £1 = two rands.)
Imports to South Africa Exports from South Africa
January~August January-August
1962 1962 — Hoes 1962 1962 1963
Britain 155,2 99,1 118,2 145.2 99,4 111.3 U.S.A. 134.5 57.4 65,9 42.9 27.1 2742 France 13.9 749 12.1 15.7 8,4 8.7 West Germany 51.3 34.35 43,1 21.43 13.6 15,6 Belgium Vee 4,0. 4,6 19,2 12.3 13,5 Holland 12,5 8.1 8.7 13.0 12.4 8.2 Italy 14,5 LOL 11.8 2241 16.0 15.5 Canada. 12,8 8,2 15,2 4.9 - 2.8 509
“Potal: 401,9 228,95 279,0 284,35 . 192.0 20347
Percentage of total 65.,8% 68.2% 70.0% 55,6% 60.0% 61.5%
British and American imperialists hold 25% interest in the seven mining and financial corporations which together control the whole diamond and gold mining industry: the balance being shared by South African, French, Belgian and West German capitalists. These corporations employ more than 500,000 low-wage African laborers,
A total of 70% of the £1,600,000,000 foreign capital invested in South Africa is owned goo British and U.S. interests, Foreign capital absorbs about 10% of the country's national income, or about R480,000,000 a year, The British share in profits, dividends and interest or other returns on capital amounts to £145,000,000. The overseas investors have a stake in virtually every strategic sector of the South African economy -- heavy engineering, agricultural implements, textiles, chemicals, motor assembly, shipping, etc,
According to the United States Department of Commerce, the $'700,000,000 in U.S. investments had produced goods and services twice the value of U.S. direct exports to South Africa. In 1960 the value of the production of manufactured goods (excluding mining pro=ducts and services) by U.S. direct investment enterprises in Sovth Africa amounted to $305,000,000. In the same year, total U.S. exports to South Africa amounted. to $200,000,000.
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United States Direct Investments in South Africa’:
(Plant and Equipment Expenditures in millions of dollars, )
1960 1961 1962
“Mining and Smelting 15 12 10
Petroleun LO 12: .. 28.
. Manufacturing 8 at 2
Total 33 Sl» AN
It is not necessary to analyze all the sabotage, intrigues and subterfuges -practiced by imperialism to block the international and national efforts to deal effectively with the South African question, It is quite clear who Verwoerd!s collaborators are and why they will support and protect their economic interests to the bitter end,
- The most realistic forecast for the South African revolution is that it will repeat the pattern of the Algerian revolution at the opposite end of the continent, developing over a number of years, When this revolution occurs at will. effectively sweep away “white minority rule," and, in accordance with the pattern observable elsewhere, will likely sweep away capitalism, too, along with its imper- -Lalist ties, - 0 oe
In the