The Daily Worker Newspaper, May 30, 1925, Page 14

a The Imperialist Movement in Syria and Jerusalem 222.» HAT which distinguishes French imperialism in Syria from English imperialism in Palestine ts its mili- tant character. The commissar and commander of the military forces has acted ruthlessly towards that section of the population which did not sub- mit to the French commands and was hostile to the foreign occupants. As a@ result, the national revolutionary emancipation movement in Syria in general has assumed an equally sharp eharacter, which is reminiscent of the time when the Arabs defended their independence in the fight against the Turkish despots. Right up to re cently, Syria has remained a country of constant revolutionary ferment, continnal outbreaks, raids and con- spiracies. In September, 1924 during the daring raid upon Damascus by a “band” which seized possession of some police depots, for some time held a whole section of the town in its hands, amd then were able to conceal themselves in the town unhindered, created a great sensation. As this at- tack was not accompanied by any plundering, this event, like the re volts which broke out at the same time in the Southeast of the country, bore a purely political character. The antiFrench movement is of course developing under illegal con- ditions. The most powerful organ- ization in the country .“Hissn-cl-Wat- aniel-Arabi” (Arabian National Party) —carries on its work by illegal com- mittees and has no possibility of com- ing out into the open. The French system of suppression is seen to be still more harsh as regards its treat- ment of the press. The opposition press is throttled (for example, the big bourgeois newspaper “Of Makki- kech,” (“Truth”) has been sup- pressed.) .~A number of people who had played a leading part in the na tional revolutionary party were sen- tenced to terms of imprisonment or expelled from the country. N spite of the repressions the Arab ‘revolutionary movement in Syria is constantly growing. The Arab na tional movement ts gradually asswm- ing the character of a movement of the broad masses of the people. This is chiefly due to the difficult economic situation in which Syria finds itself at present. The peasantry of the most cultured district in the Lebanons are emigrating in masses as their situa tion is intolerable. The wages of the town workers are lower than those of pre-war times, while the cost of food has considerably increased. Syria formerly constituted a trade route for Turkey, but it is now isolated and its trade is almost entirely crippled. The native Arabian industry is dying out; on the other hand the French capital ists are enjoying every sort of priv- ilege. The government has not moved a finger in order to improve the exist- ing state of affairs. Not only that; the budget is loaded with the burden of the repayment of the Turkish debts (in the interests of the French finan- ces), with the enormous parasitic of- ficial apparatus, and with public un- dertakings which are not in any way for the benefit of the national econ- omy of Syria, but are necessary to the French for their strategic aims. The national emanicpation move- ment itself is gradually changing its character. In the past this movement for emancipation formed an integral part of the Pan-Islamic movement, chiefly uniting in its ranks the Mo- hammedan elements of Syria and aim- ing at the creation of an All-Arabian state with Sheik of Mekka, Hussein and his son Velsalatthehead. This movement is now becoming a move- ment of the whole people. Broad circles of one-time mutually hostile Moham- medan and christian intellectuals are uniting together in a common le against France. At the same time, with the defeat sustained by Hussein, there have also been dispelled the hopes of an All-Arabian state under the protectorate of any European state. At present the movement has lost its bearing and has no clear aim. Bat the number of supporters of the liberation movement is growing. It is also gaining confidence in its own powers and we shall probably witness in the near future the powerful growth of a national insurrectionary move- ment in Syria, arising from the pro- found discontent with the imperialist domination. More clever and refined is the behavior of the English in the English mandatory area in Palestine. In the first place they refrain from rely- ing solely upon the bayonets of their troops. Just as in the other colonies, they prefer to create a support in the country itself. The French in Beyrout rely upon the rule of their own general, the English in Palestine, however, impose the task of consol- idating their power upon the liberal Zionists. Compared with the policy of Gouraud or Weygand in Syria, the policy of Sir Herbedt Samuel in Pal- estine bears a “conciliatory” and “peaceable” character, The English act as if they were not occupying the country in their own interest, but in order to fulfill a solemn and repeated “promise” to the Jewish people to “get up in Palestine a national home for the Jews.” In Syria it fs the imperialist gov- ernment itesif which appears as the leader of the struggle against the na- tive’ population. In Palestine, how- ever, the English have created a buf- fer mm the shape of the Zionists. The policy of the Zionsts in Palestine is aggressive and absurd, and is regard- ed by the Arab population as a ser ious threat against their existence. The Zionists enjoy various privileges and advantages from the English gow ernment, A minority, amounting to not more than 13 per cent of the popu- lation, enjoy special privileges from the government thru the executive or- gan of the Zionist organization, and determine along with the government the number of Jewish immigrants to be admitted into Palestine, etc. In order to provide settlements for the Jewish immigrants the Zionist organ ization and other Jewish capitalist concerns are purchasing land from the Arab big landowners and expelling the Arab peasants from their little plots of ground. N Palestine the government is di- recting its persecutions mainly against the young, but well organized Communist Party, which is conduct- ing the most active and successful fight against imperialism and against Zionism. The connection of this party with the national revolutionary ele- ments and the growing popularity of its slogans among the Arab working and peasant masses constitutes a ser- ious danger for English imperialism in the Near East, as it threatens it with the collapse of its cunning policy in Palestine. By JAY LOVESTONE, Director, Research Department, Workers Party The camperign ‘against the union miners in the bituminous coal fields. 1. Hlinois, Indiana and Ohio are amongst the most strongly unionized coal mining states in the country. 2 The coal barons have been conducting a campaign to destroy the miners’ union as shown by their shutting down. of coal mines in the fields where the United Mine Workers of America has won a foothold and transferring the operations to non-unionized coal fields. BUILDERS A AT we RK Get Ready for Red Week Beginning June 15 Pledge Yourself Comrades! ppt RED WEEK of June 15 to 21 the American Communist move- ment and all sympathizers are called to action. Thousands of copies of the DAILY WORKER will be distributed and subs during this week are allowed to be taken at the special rate of two months fro one dollar. This great mobilization of every Red in America is going to be a spectacular finnish to a three months subscription campaign to “Bulld the DAILY WORKER” to prove a greated weapon for the militant work- ers in this country. What Is your branch going to do about it? What are YOU going to do? 3. Thus, in the first half of 1924, at least a) 20 pet. of the unionized bituminous coal mines in Illinols quit business b) 36 pct. of the unionized bituminous coal mines in Indiana quit business c) 40 pct. of the unionized bituminous: coal mines in Ohio~ quit’ business 4 In these three highly unionized coal mining states production has been maintained at a level of about forty per cent & More and more bituminous coal Is coming from the Southern non- unionized coal fields as shown by a) Since 1900 the output of coal in the South has been Increasing at a-much higher rate than for the rest of the country. hb) Im 1923 the production-of coal in the Southern non-unionized was esti mated to be about one-third of the total coal output of the country. Pledge Yourself Comrade! Pledge your branch—(and yourself to the branch)—to get a certain number of subscribers during this week. Send in your pledge to the DAILY WORKER—and then send the subs that you have pledged. If you are not in the Workers (Communist) Part d you want to do your share—pledge yourself! Tell us how . - any subs YOU are going to get—and then go out to get them. oe ¢ @ In the Second Annual Sab Campaign These loyal BUILDERS have sent in new subs on Thursday, May 28, PHILADELPHIA, PA-—Lena Rosenberg (2); Liza Lave (2). WASHINGTON, D, C-—S. R. Pearlman, ; ASTORIA, ORE-—Finnish Socialist Club, ; NEW YORK, N. Y—J, Brand, ; , CHICAGO, IIl—Engell Adameck (2). .. 9 English Books Received: (Plebs Publications) OUTLINE OF ECONOMICS........... saadesvincssentialas cp 100 OUTLINE OF MODERN IMPERIALISM............_........$1.00 OUTLINE OF ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHYV..................$1.00 WHAT TO READ (A guide for worker studente)-..9 25 UNITY (with photographs) 2...0........ccccsccsesceresssseeeten 5 ROCHESTER, N. Y.—Fred Elckoff (2), WORK AMONG WOMEN (with photographs).........$ 35 MUSKEGON, MICH.—Walter Johnson, TORONTO, CAN—"The Worker” (3), eas PITTSBURGH, PA—Fred Merrick. The Daily Worker Publishing Co. CLEVELAND, OHIO—J, A. Hamilton (2), 1113 W. Washington Blvd. Chicago, Illinois BOSTON, MASS.—C. J. Blockman, MONESSEN, PA—Leo Kaupit la. of FACTS FOR WORKERS