Snippets from my Research

In spite of the slump in the middle of the week, it turned out to be a good week. I spent a couple of hours in the library on Friday looking at Parliamentary Debates in the House of Lords and the House of Commons in 44-45.I also looked at "Command Papers" from 44-46 - these are official military reports and documents on movements and strategies. I thought I'd share some of the more interesting exerts with you for your reading pleasure :-):

"...the abolition of forced labour in Kenya, in view of the statement of the Attorney-General in the Legislative Council on 18th April last that there were in Kenya some thousands of unemployed male persons.

[Response:] The Attorney General's statement related to unemployment among Asians [...] compulsory labour is kept under constant review and will be discontinued as soon as circumstances permit." (6 Dec. '44, House of Commons, Written Answers)

Compulsory labour was kept in place for quite a while in Kenya and was always focused on native African's, who were underrepresented in the Legislative Council in Kenya. They had little voice - other than a few in the Parliament in London - who called for just action.

"...the revision of service conditions for European and African civil servants [...Response:] the investigation will not cover the employes of local Native Councils in Kenya except those who are seconded Government servants.

[Mr. Sorenenson:...] say why they are not so included and what is the reason for this discrimination? [...] Is it not true that many of the native authority staffs want to be included?

[Response:] I could not answer that question." (House of Commons, Oral Answers, '44)

Additional notes point out that a member of the Asian Elected Members of Legislative Council (mind you, Asians were able to elect a couple representatives, African's 4 reps were appointed) requested "a unified Civil Service of all races" and the Kenya African Civil Service Association said "That there should be a unified non-European service."

Mr. Sorenson once again brings up questions about Kenya in April of 1945 when he asks the Secretary of State for the Colonies about forced labour in Africa - how many are being conscripted and for how long it is planned to continue? (Mind you, this came up 5 months earlier in the above discussion). The response is very telling, but then a follow-up question from Colonel Sir Arthur Evans is pitch perfect.

"[Response:...] unskilled manual labour conscripted for work in Government civil undertakings or private undertakings. Such conscription is permitted only for the purposes essential for the conduct of the war or the maintenance of the life of the community, and is in operation only in Kenya, Tanganyika and Northern Rhodesia. The latest figures available show that at the end of November, 1944 [6 month old figures], the number of conscripts in Kenya was 26,032 [...]

[Mr. Sorenson's response:] Does the minister appreciate that [...] this continuation of forced labour may have some unfortunate effects upon the activity of the whole industry and of the men themselves?

[...Colonel Sir Arthur Evans:] In order to put this matter in its proper perspective, will my hon. Friend [referring to the Under-Secretary of State for the Dominions who has been responding to Sorenson] also furnish the total number of people conscripted in this country?" (House of Commons, 25 Apr 1945, Oral Answers)

It's at the end of this question that the discussion ends. A couple things to note. First of all, at this point, in a country with millions of Kenyans, there were roughly only 30,000 white settlers. Of these, 3 thousand owned 12,000 square miles of cultivable land while one million Kikuyu only had 2,000 square miles (Piers Brendon, 545). I still have more research to do, but I'm curious if this conscription of labour for "private undertakings [...and] the maintenance of the community" continued for quite a while - simply because the settlers needed help farming the vast stretches of land they owned. (Note: 26,000 Kenyans conscripted, 30,000 White settlers)

Well I should stop there. I need to get ready for church and this is a lengthy installment. I also found some really interesting reports on Israel/Palestine during this period and 24+ terrorist acts/crimes carried out by militant Jewish sects in Jerusalem, Haifa, and Tel Aviv during this period. Really interesting! So, until next time...