Cope, R. K.

The films are of material relating to Cope's work on W.H. Andrews, who was born in Britain but emigrated to South Africa in 1893 to work on the railways. He was the first chairman of the South African Labour Party, but resigned from it over the First World War issue and helped to organise the International Socialist League which in 1921 merged into the Communist Party of South Africa. Andrews, as CPSA general secretary, played a prominent part in the 1922 strike. In the same year he became a member of the Comintern executive; and he was also editor of The International. He was expelled from the party in 1934 for opposing the `Native Republic' policy but was later re-admitted.

From the guide to the R K Cope, papers (microfilm) relating to W H Andrews, (Comrade Bill) 1870-1950, 1970s, (York University, Borthwick Institute of Historical Research)