For almost a century, U.S. imperialism controlled parts of China. ‘Protecting (wealthy) American interests’, going all the way back to 1854 the U.S. had a military presence through its navy both in Chinese ports and on inland waterways like the Yangtze where it regularly engaged with Chinese nationalist forces. The presence grew much larger after World War One, with the situation became particularly acute after the May 30 Movement against foreign occupation. Secretary of the All-America Anti-Imperialist League Charles Phillips took the name Manuel Gomez while living in Mexico as a draft evader during World War One and remained an important link between the U.S. Communist Party and the Spanish-speaking Americas. In response the A.F. of L.’s State Department project, the Pan-American Federation of Labor, Communists initiated the Pan-America Anti-Imperialist League in January, 1925 (changing the name shortly to All-America Anti-Imperialist League to further differentiate). The All-American League was a regional precursor to the the global League Against Imperialism founded in 1927.

‘Pan-American Anti-Imperialist League Manifesto on China’ from The Daily Worker. Vol. 2 No. 128. June 11, 1925.

AMERICAN imperialism has shown its hand in China. It is a bloody hand, dripping with the blood of defenseless Chinese workers and students. All China is aroused at the latest imperialist outrage at Shanghai.

Unarmed students who dared to show their sympathy for the under-paid striking employes of big foreign-owned textile mills have been shot down in cold blood by American, British and Italian troops in the streets of Shanghai.

From strike-breaking and murder the foreign troops have proceeded to complete military occupation, not only in the so-called “foreign quarters” but over the whole city. All police powers have been usurped by them. Chinese newspapers and. leaflets have been confiscated. Students and teachers have been forcibly ejected from the university of Shanghai, which now serves as a barracks for American marines.

Over 200 Chinese have already been killed.

This is the practical outcome of the innocent-sounding “rights of extra-territoriality,” which the imperialist powers long ago forced China to accede to and which permit them to maintain their own military and police force, their own courts and their own legal systems in the foreign quarters of Chinese cities. “Extra-territoriality” is now revealed as the opening wedge to assumption of supreme authority, leading to the further partition of China among the imperialist powers under the slogan of “white supremacy.” The road to super-profits in the Far East lies over the dead body of the long-suffering Chinese republic.

Soviet Russia, alone of the great powers, is a staunch friend of China.

American forces took the lead in the brutal rape of Shanghai. The excuse offered is that T.G. McMartin, an American dentist, was wounded by Chinese “rioters.” But McMartin had forfeited all claim to consideration. He was wounded after he had taken up arms against Chinese people as a private in the volunteer army recruited from the rag tag and bob tall of imperialistic hangers-on among the foreign colony of Shanghai.

American diplomatic officials in China have now cabled to Washington for “more naval assistance.” British and Japanese diplomats have done the same. War looms in the offing not only a combined imperialist assault upon China, but ultimately a fierce struggle among the imperialist robbers themselves, over the division of the spoils.

Is it a coincidence that the militaristic might of American imperialism is just now being flaunted before the world? Is it by chance that the biggest American fleet in history has been demonstrating in Far Eastern waters and is now on a “friendly” visit to Australia? Is it accidental that President Coolidge has proclaimed July 4 as Mobilization Day throughout the United States? Wall Street is preparing its gigantic new profit-war and Washington is nothing but an administrative outpost of Wall Street.

The assault upon China is well-timed. It aims to take advantage of the temporary disorganization following upon the death of the great leader, Sun Yat Sen, to shatter the Kuo Min Tang Party and destroy the Chinese nationalist movement. But the Chinese are offering a heroic resistance. Over 250,000 workers are on strike in the Shanghai area, tying up every factory, mill, telephone, street car and restaurant in the locality. All shops have been forced to close. The walls are covered with posters denouncing the imperialist legions. The students of Peking, Hankow, Tientsin, Mukden and many other cities have declared their support of the Shanghai students. Even the weak Peking government has been obliged to send a note of protest to the imperialist powers.

Everywhere the Chinese are demanding:

Abolition of Imperialistic privileges in China.

Cancellation of “rights of extraterritoriality.”

Removal of the maritime customs, chief source of national revenue, from the administration of foreigners.

Prosecution of foreign policemen involved in the shooting of students.

The All-American Anti-Imperialist League, representing the peoples under the heel of American imperialism in Latin America, Hawaii, and the Philippines, as well as revolutionary workers in the United States, makes common cause with its exploited Chinese brothers. It protests before the whole world against the latest imperialist outrage at Shanghai, and particularly against the actions of the hypocritical United States government, the pretended “friend of China,” the so-called enemy of Imperialism which has shown itself over and over again to be the leading prototype of capitalist imperialism in the world today.

The All-American Anti-Imperialist. League call upon all the peoples who are victims of American Imperialism to rally to the support of our Chinese brothers.

We also call upon the exploited wage-earners of the United States, who feel the lash of Wall Street no less than the other oppressed peoples, to repudiate the imperialist ventures of their government and to demand the immediate withdrawal of all American naval and military forces from China.

To the mighty Kuo Min Tang Party of China, the courageous embodiment of the struggle for Chinese liberation, we extend a fraternal greeting. We pledge ourselves to take up your fight, which is also our fight, to the end that the Chinese people may be able to throw off this curse of imperialism which is clutching at their throats.

Down with American imperialism!

Down with the attempt of the capitalists of America, Great Britain, Japan, etc., to wage a new imperialist profit-war!

Immediate withdrawal of all American troops from Chinese soil!

Immediate withdrawal of every American warship from Chinese harbors!

Hands Off China!

ALL-AMERICAN ANTI-IMPERIALIST LEAGUE,
Manuel Gomez, Secretary.

The Daily Worker began in 1924 and was published in New York City by the Communist Party US and its predecessor organizations. Among the most long-lasting and important left publications in US history, it had a circulation of 35,000 at its peak. The Daily Worker came from The Ohio Socialist, published by the Left Wing-dominated Socialist Party of Ohio in Cleveland from 1917 to November 1919, when it became became The Toiler, paper of the Communist Labor Party. In December 1921 the above-ground Workers Party of America merged the Toiler with the paper Workers Council to found The Worker, which became The Daily Worker beginning January 13, 1924. National and City (New York and environs) editions exist.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/dailyworker/1925/1925-ny/v02b-n128-NYE-jun-11-1925-DW-LOC.pdf