British and American imperialists bombarded the city of Nanking, killing over six hundred defenseless Chinese.
However, our Delegation, consisting of representatives of the British, French and American workers, have traversed Southern China, and have everywhere been received with open arms and with the greatest enthusiasm by the Chinese people. Everywhere the workers, peasants, students, soldiers, merchants and artisans have manifested the complete unity of the oppressed peoples of the East with the exploited classes of the West. You, who are of the flesh and blood of the workers and peasants of your respective countries, are being deceived by those who have sent you here as to the true nature of the spirit and attitude of the Chinese people, in order that you may be used as instruments in the perpetration of criminal acts which are unworthy of your class and of yourselves.
We, the representatives of millions of workers of England, France and America, consider it our imperative duty to appeal to your conscience as workers and to reveal to you the horror of the crimes which the imperialists want you to commit against a people which is fighting for its freedom.
It is your duty and in your own interests that you who are yourselves being exploited should not fight against the Chinese people, but on the contrary, you must aid it in its struggle for liberation. It is your duty and in your own interests not to aid those who exploit you; on the contrary, you should fight against them.
In the name of the revolutionary workers of our countries, and fully conscious of the importance of such an act, we appeal to you not lend yourselves to the criminal action for which you are being used.
You are told to shoot and kill the Chinese.
We tell you to fraternise with the Chinese people.
The International Workers' Delegation:
Tom Mann (England)
Browder (America)
Doriot (France).
34
