The Commonwealth Immigrants Act which aroused strong criticism of the British Government at the time of its enactment has now been in force for a whole year. It must be conceded that it has been applied in a humane and liberal way. In fact, it can be claimed that the Act has helped to avoid a great deal of possible misunderstanding between Britain and other Commonwealth countries and racial conflict here.
The Act was conceived and enacted in the fear that the economy would not be able to cope with the large influx of immigrants. The fear turned out to be more than justified as the worst winter in recorded history produced the highest level of unemployment since 1947. Though nearly 800,000 persons were unemployed, no one except the lunatic fringe in fascist organisations blamed it on the coloured immigrants from the Commonwealth. It is interesting that even when clashes took place between Jews and anti-semitic organisations last winter, coloured immigrants remained unmolested. Only two such incidents were reported.
Discrimination
Last year grave fears were aroused on account of the mishandling of the case of the Jamaican girl, Miss Carmen Bryan. She was kept in jail without trial and sought to be repatriated on the petty charge of shoplifting. The storm of protest it aroused in Parliament was itself heartening. In any case, the fears have now turned out to be unjustified. It is also significant that out of slightly over 75,000 applicants for the necessary employment vouchers 30,000 have been granted vouchers. Nearly 20,000 have not so far utilised these vouchers.
Discrimination that the coloured immigrants encounter in respect of employment, housing and education is a separate issue. On this ledger the entries are not all in the red. A genuine attempt is being made by the better elements to stir the social conscience of the community. Only last week BBC television ran a programme on the difficulties of West Indian immigrants. There was no attempt in blur the facts. I am inclined to share the view that the immigrants, like the poorest section of the British population itself, would continue to suffer as long as there are not enough houses and schools. It is, however, noteworthy that when in last January unemployment increased by 100 per cent, compared with the same month last year, the figure relating to coloured workers rose only to 35,294 from 31,683.
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Those who have followed the committal proceedings against Dr Stephen Ward, central figure in the Profumo affair, will recall the name of Peter Rachman, the Pole who kept Miss Marilyn Rice-Davies, friend of the better known Miss Christine Keeler, for two years. He is assured of a place in Britain’s social history of the 50’s on yet another account. Not only was he the most notorious exploiter of West Indian immigrants but the progenitor of a whole class of landlords who have specialised in this business.
He came to this country after the war and began his career as landlord with the purchase of an eight-room house for just £1,000. Seven of the rooms were occupied by tenants who paid pre-war rents and were protected by law. He rented the only empty room to eight West Indians who were encouraged to hold noisy parties. Within three months the other tenants left. Other West Indians rented the rooms at exorbitant rents. Within 18 months he sold the house for five times the cost price.
The racial riots that took place in Notting Hill in 1961 were the result of similar activities by Rachman and other white landlords. Incidentally, in a part of the Notting Hill area slums have yielded place to beautiful office and residential blocks.
Six Cars
Rachman lived in great style. His mansion in what is known as Millionaire Row cost £70,000. It was furnished in Louis XV style. He had six cars – one Cadillac, two Rolls- Royces, two Jaguars (one of which he gave to Miss Davies), and one Metropolitan. He was known as the king of the property speculators. He had perfected the technique of obscuring ownership of the properties to such an extent that the authorities were seldom able to catch up with him.
Apart from illustrating the manner in which the difficulties of immigrants caused by prejudice have been exploited, Rachman’s career throws light on a whole class of unscrupulous persons who have made good in the affluent society. No wonder there is a strong aversion against it all. Obviously there is something wrong with a society in which Miss Davies earns so much money that she is able to boast about it.
Before the Profumo scandal broke, what is called ‘‘cheque book journalism” was generally in disgrace. National papers outbidding each other for the memoirs of murderers, rapists and adulteresses were not regarded as a pretty sight. Now even commentators like Lord Francis Williams (his column on Fleet Street in the “New Statesman” remains incomparable) have begun to qualify.
Money Talks
It is only too obvious that Christine Keeler delivered Profumo’s letter to the “Sunday Pictorial” (now renamed “Sunday Mirror”) because she expected to make a profitable bargain. She disclosed the fact of her relationship with Ivanov and Profumo because that increased many times over the value of her life story. When the deal with the “Pictorial” fell through, the “News of the World” was only too willing to pay the price – £23,000. Another daily is believed to have paid her substantial amounts for occasional interviews. Money, as they say, talks.
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It appears that cheque book journalism has come to stay. The Profumo scandal has provided a justification to the principal practitioners of this art. “The Mirror” group, for instance, went into a great display of self-righteousness for not publishing either Profumo’s letter to Miss Keeler or her life story and said “it would be unwise for the press to lay down inexorable rules about what it might, or might not, should or should not, will or will not publish.” If it agreed with the critics that “pimps, prostitutes and perverts should not profit from their notoriety and degradation’’ it is because, so it is being said by those who know, circulation trends indicate the need for a touch of lower middle-class respectability. The “News of the World” has not been either self-righteous or apologetic.
The Press Council is soon to have a lay (non-journalist) chairman and some lay members. The theory is that their inclusion would help to improve the tone of the popular press. “The Times” has been skeptical which seems to me a sound reaction. The “News Chronicle” had to fold up because the circulation of nearly two million was not large enough to attract advertisements. The logic of circulation remains supreme and every other consideration subordinate to it.
The Times of India, 14 July 1963