Drawing the Global Colour Line: White Men's Countries and the International Challenge of Racial Equality (Critical Perspectives on Empire)

In 1900 W. E. B. DuBois prophesied that the colour line would be the key problem of the twentieth-century and he later identified one of its key dynamics: the new religion of whiteness that was sweeping the world. Whereas most historians have confined their studies of race-relations to a national framework, this book offers a pioneering study of the transnational circulation of people and ideas, racial knowledge and technologies that under-pinned the construction of self-styled white men's countries from South Africa, to North America and Australasia. Marilyn Lake and Henry Reynolds show how in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century these countries worked in solidarity to exclude those they defined as not-white, actions that provoked a long international struggle for racial equality. Their findings make clear the centrality of struggles around mobility and sovereignty to modern formulations of both race and human rights. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 4 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Dedication......Page 7 Contents......Page 9 Marilyn Lake......Page 11 Henry Reynolds......Page 12 Introduction......Page 13 Part 1 Modern mobilities......Page 25 Lowe Kong Meng arrives in Melbourne to find prosperity and prejudice......Page 27 Victoria looks to California, but leads the way in immigration restriction......Page 29 Freedom of movement: international treaties and transnational solidarities......Page 35 Beef-eating men versus rice-eating men......Page 42 Racial exclusion and Chinese protest......Page 47 Race homogeneity as the basis of healthy national life......Page 53 A time may come......Page 55 Part 2 Discursive frameworks......Page 59 James Bryce publishes a work of biblical authority......Page 61 E. A. Freeman: university mentor and historian of race......Page 62 The cause of the North: looking to America......Page 65 ‘I talked to everyone I could find’: Bryce researches the United States......Page 68 The world made small......Page 72 Two races so differently advanced......Page 74 United States and South Africa: white men must rule......Page 83 A crisis in the history of the world......Page 84 The white man ‘elbowed and hustled’ and ‘thrust aside’......Page 87 Pearson the liberal reformer......Page 94 ‘Remarkable’, ‘novel’, ‘disturbing’: the impact of Pearson’s book......Page 99 Pearson’s challenge to Anglo-Saxon triumphalism......Page 101 Racial anxiety......Page 103 ‘One of the most notable books of the end of the century’......Page 107 The new and newest worlds: ‘a heritage for the white people’......Page 112 ‘We cannot sit huddled in our borders’......Page 116 Anglo-Saxonism resurgent......Page 118 Mr Gandhi arrives in Natal and becomes a ‘despised being’......Page 126 Amendment to the Franchise Act: ‘is this to be a white man’s country?’......Page 131 We must follow New South Wales......Page 137 Natal immigration restriction: ‘founded on the American Act’......Page 141 Part 3 Transnational solidarities......Page 147 Inauguration......Page 149 American history lessons......Page 150 Barring all persons belonging to any coloured race......Page 155 Outside the pale of civilised tongues......Page 159 Enshrining the status of white labour......Page 162 White citizen mothers......Page 169 Critics of White Australia......Page 171 The need for population......Page 175 ‘A deep colour line of demarcation’......Page 176 A victory never anticipated......Page 178 Yet humiliated like dogs......Page 180 The Japanese danger......Page 182 The problem of the hour......Page 184 The Schools Crisis......Page 185 A national insult......Page 186 The diplomats’ compromise......Page 189 ‘White Canada Forever’......Page 190 Transnational identities and interests......Page 196 Asia against the world......Page 200 8 White ties across the ocean: the Pacific tour of the US fleet......Page 202 Deakin issues an invitation......Page 206 ‘those colonies are white man’s country’......Page 209 White man to white men......Page 212 ‘Sacrifice the nigger’......Page 222 The young general......Page 225 Insulting Asiatics as Asiatics......Page 226 The birth of Satyagraha......Page 228 An Asiatic alliance?......Page 230 The mutual support of white men......Page 231 Creating a white man’s union......Page 234 Africans as true citizens of Empire......Page 236 London sanctions the Union......Page 238 Gandhi confronts Smuts......Page 240 The discrimination of colour and race......Page 241 The international race question......Page 244 Gandhi’s manifesto......Page 246 A complete separation of the blacks and the whites......Page 247 Part 4 Challenge and consolidation......Page 251 Race questions......Page 253 The Pan-African Congress and the problem of the colour line......Page 256 Whiteness is the ownership of the earth......Page 259 Imperialism the enemy......Page 261 To discuss relations between the East and West......Page 263 The White policy could lead to war......Page 265 A new cosmopolitanism or intellectual incoherence?......Page 270 Stirring up racial animosity......Page 273 Japanese settlers in California: ‘incapable of assimilation’......Page 275 Citizenship and land......Page 277 The horror of miscegenation......Page 279 Woodrow Wilson’s dilemma......Page 282 ‘We coloured people must combine and crush Albinocracy’......Page 283 A grave international issue......Page 287 A new world order?......Page 290 Asia for the Asiatics......Page 292 The search for solutions......Page 293 Japanese race discourse......Page 296 Advising the delegation......Page 297 Sixty million souls......Page 298 Whose equality?......Page 299 The initial approach......Page 300 Before the Commission......Page 302 Wilson’s ambivalence......Page 304 Democrats confront aristocrats......Page 305 Negotiations continued......Page 309 Top dogs triumph......Page 311 Lifting the load of responsibility......Page 313 National shame......Page 315 Global disillusion......Page 317 Preaching the gospel of whiteness......Page 322 Resurgent racism......Page 324 A white New Zealand......Page 327 A white Canada......Page 329 The power of inheritance......Page 330 Excluding the Japanese......Page 332 Japanese outrage, again......Page 334 Peoples of Asia unite......Page 336 South Africa: in the land of the white man......Page 338 Part 5 Towards universal human rights......Page 345 Minority treaties......Page 347 The generalisation of rights......Page 348 From minority rights to human rights......Page 349 Racial discrimination revisited......Page 351 White prestige collapses in the ‘Far East’......Page 352 A rising wind of protest......Page 353 India challenges South Africa......Page 355 Smuts humiliated......Page 356 The twisted contradiction......Page 358 The universal declaration......Page 359 A momentous occasion......Page 361 Race thinking assailed......Page 362 White men in retreat......Page 364 Index......Page 369 Cover 1 Half-title 3 Series-title 4 Title 5 Copyright 6 Dedication 7 Contents 9 Acknowledgments 11 Marilyn Lake 11 Henry Reynolds 12 Introduction 13 Part 1 Modern mobilities 25 1 The coming man: Chinese migration to the goldfields 27 Lowe Kong Meng arrives in Melbourne to find prosperity and prejudice 27 Victoria looks to California, but leads the way in immigration restriction 29 Freedom of movement: international treaties and transnational solidarities 35 Beef-eating men versus rice-eating men 42 Racial exclusion and Chinese protest 47 Race homogeneity as the basis of healthy national life 53 A time may come 55 Part 2 Discursive frameworks 59 2 The American Commonwealth and the ‘negro problem’ 61 James Bryce publishes a work of biblical authority 61 E. A. Freeman: university mentor and historian of race 62 The cause of the North: looking to America 65 ‘I talked to everyone I could find’: Bryce researches the United States 68 The world made small 72 Two races so differently advanced 74 United States and South Africa: white men must rule 83 A crisis in the history of the world 84 3 ‘The day will come’: Charles Pearson’s disturbing prophecy 87 The white man ‘elbowed and hustled’ and ‘thrust aside’ 87 Pearson the liberal reformer 94 ‘Remarkable’, ‘novel’, ‘disturbing’: the impact of Pearson’s book 99 Pearson’s challenge to Anglo-Saxon triumphalism 101 Racial anxiety 103 4 Theodore Roosevelt’s re-assertion of racial vigour 107 ‘One of the most notable books of the end of the century’ 107 The new and newest worlds: ‘a heritage for the white people’ 112 ‘We cannot sit huddled in our borders’ 116 Anglo-Saxonism resurgent 118 5 Imperial brotherhood or white? Gandhi in South Africa 126 Mr Gandhi arrives in Natal and becomes a ‘despised being’ 126 Amendment to the Franchise Act: ‘is this to be a white man’s country?’ 131 We must follow New South Wales 137 Natal immigration restriction: ‘founded on the American Act’ 141 Part 3 Transnational solidarities 147 6 White Australia points the way 149 Inauguration 149 American history lessons 150 Barring all persons belonging to any coloured race 155 Outside the pale of civilised tongues 159 Enshrining the status of white labour 162 White citizen mothers 169 Critics of White Australia 171 The need for population 175 ‘A deep colour line of demarcation’ 176 7 Defending the Pacific Slope 178 A victory never anticipated 178 Yet humiliated like dogs 180 The Japanese danger 182 The problem of the hour 184 The Schools Crisis 185 A national insult 186 The diplomats’ compromise 189 ‘White Canada Forever’ 190 Transnational identities and interests 196 Asia against the world 200 8 White ties across the ocean: the Pacific tour of the US fleet 202 Deakin issues an invitation 206 ‘those colonies are white man’s country’ 209 White man to white men 212 9 The Union of South Africa: white men reconcile 222 The Treaty 222 ‘Sacrifice the nigger’ 222 The young general 225 Insulting Asiatics as Asiatics 226 The birth of Satyagraha 228 An Asiatic alliance? 230 The mutual support of white men 231 Creating a white man’s union 234 Africans as true citizens of Empire 236 London sanctions the Union 238 Gandhi confronts Smuts 240 The discrimination of colour and race 241 The international race question 244 Gandhi’s manifesto 246 A complete separation of the blacks and the whites 247 Part 4 Challenge and consolidation 251 10 International conferences: cosmopolitan amity or racial enmity? 253 Race questions 253 The Pan-African Congress and the problem of the colour line 256 Whiteness is the ownership of the earth 259 Imperialism the enemy 261 To discuss relations between the East and West 263 The White policy could lead to war 265 A new cosmopolitanism or intellectual incoherence? 270 Stirring up racial animosity 273 11 Japanese alienation and imperial ambition 275 Japanese settlers in California: ‘incapable of assimilation’ 275 Citizenship and land 277 The horror of miscegenation 279 Woodrow Wilson’s dilemma 282 ‘We coloured people must combine and crush Albinocracy’ 283 A grave international issue 287 A new world order? 290 Asia for the Asiatics 292 The search for solutions 293 12 Racial equality? The Paris Peace Conference, 1919 296 Fleets in European seas 296 Japanese race discourse 296 Advising the delegation 297 Sixty million souls 298 Whose equality? 299 Dissent in the delegation 300 The initial approach 300 Before the Commission 302 Wilson’s ambivalence 304 Democrats confront aristocrats 305 Negotiations continued 309 Top dogs triumph 311 Lifting the load of responsibility 313 National shame 315 Global disillusion 317 13 Immigration restriction in the 1920s: ‘segregation on a large scale’ 322 Preaching the gospel of whiteness 322 Resurgent racism 324 A white New Zealand 327 A white Canada 329 The power of inheritance 330 Excluding the Japanese 332 Japanese outrage, again 334 Peoples of Asia unite 336 South Africa: in the land of the white man 338 Part 5 Towards universal human rights 345 14 Individual rights without distinction 347 Minority treaties 347 The generalisation of rights 348 From minority rights to human rights 349 Racial discrimination revisited 351 White prestige collapses in the ‘Far East’ 352 A rising wind of protest 353 India challenges South Africa 355 Smuts humiliated 356 The twisted contradiction 358 The universal declaration 359 A momentous occasion 361 Race thinking assailed 362 White men in retreat 364 Index 369 In 1900 W. E. B. DuBois prophesied that the colour line would be the key problem of the twentieth-century and he later identified one of its key dynamics: the new religion of whiteness that was sweeping the world. Whereas most historians have confined their studies of race-relations to a national framework, this book studies the transnational circulation of people and ideas, racial knowledge and technologies that under-pinned the construction of self-styled white men's countries from South Africa, to North America and Australasia. Marilyn Lake and Henry Reynolds show how in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century these countries worked in solidarity to exclude those they defined as not-white, actions that provoked a long international struggle for racial equality. Their findings make clear the centrality of struggles around mobility and sovereignty to modern formulations of both race and human rights.