W. E. B. Du Bois on Asia by Mullen Bill V.; Watson Cathryn; Watson Cathryn & Cathryn Watson

Author:Mullen, Bill V.; Watson, Cathryn; Watson, Cathryn & Cathryn Watson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: University Press of Mississippi
Published: 2005-11-09T05:00:00+00:00

A Chronicle of Race Relations [I]

The Second World War

The outcome of the present war is bound to have large effect upon the theory of races and the relations of the larger cultural groups of mankind. This is not inherently involved in the causes of war and its present development. These causes are based on industrial technique, world commerce, colonial imperialism and the severe and increasing competition of the European empires. But bound up with this today and a bitter emotional drive to action, is the racial theory of Adolph Hitler and the German Nationalist Socialist leaders.

This race theory found its primary motive in Hitler’s youthful fixation against Jews; in the economic rivalries and competition between German and Jew in the developments from 1914 to 1933, and primarily in the fact that race hatred proved one of the most effective stimuli on which an emotional appeal to national unity and group revenge could be based. It is not clear, however, how far race theory is going to motivate Germany’s action after the war, in her attitudes toward the world. We may assume that her expulsion of the Jews from German life will continue, but her attitude toward Jews elsewhere in the world may conceivably change because of their still great influence and power.

The attitude of Germany toward other colored peoples has long shown signs of racial accommodation: she recognized the Japanese as “Aryan” and has assiduously courted them. It may easily happen that her efforts thoroughly to disintegrate the British Empire will lead to similar recognition of the Indians and Malays. In Africa she will as soon as possible seize her former colonies and quite possibly along with Italy take over other colonial possessions from the English, the French and the Portuguese. She would thus become a ruler of perhaps a majority of black Africans. In such case, however, she would meet rivalry in white South Africa, in English Kenya and in black West Africa, not to mention French Senegal. She could not hold these countries in subjection without considerable recognition of economic rights and even some political autonomy. In fact by granting in British West Africa a greater degree of political autonomy than the English have allowed, Germany could easily make her domination there more secure. On the other hand, any attempt to reduce black Africa to more complete serfdom than she at present suffers, would make the Negroes of the world secret and even open allies of a possible rebirth of British and French power. This would be something for Germany seriously to consider.

We are reminded that a novel by Jules Verne called The Five Hundred Millions of the Begum has as its hero Herr Schulze who closely resembles Hitler. He proposes to found a world kingdom upon a theory of race and installs vast machines for destruction. In the end he is a victim of his own invention and when his death is announced, his whole system crumbles.

Albert Bushnell Hart, the venerable historian, predicts that the British Isles

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.