MOTION DEFEATED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 206, 13 June 1946, Page 5

MOTION DEFEATED

COMMUNIST AFFILIATION DECISION OF LABOUR CONGRESS (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.) (Rec. 12,35 p.m.) LONDON, June 12. The Labour Party Congress defeated a motion for affiliation by Communists by 2,768,000 votes to 468,000. A total of 2,413,000. votes were cast for and 667 against a resolution by the National Executive to alter the constitution so that in future the party will not admit any other separate political party to affiliation. Mr Herbert Morrison, speaking for the executive on the Communist affiliation, said there were fundamental differences between the respective political conceptions of the Labour and Communist Parties. “We believe in a truly constitutional Government and Parliamentary democracy, and have every reason to believe the Commun- ■ ist Party does neither. They do not believe in a Parliamentary institution as we understand it. We believe in the right of every citizen to replace the Government if he desires.” The Communist Party, in the making of its own policy from the general secretary of the political bureau down to the rank and lile was a dictatorship party, said Mr Morrison. It got its orders from above and had no rights in shaping policy. Labour held that democracy, liberty and the principle of self-government would not mix with a dictatorship, and therefore they affirmed that it .was inconsistent for the Labour and Communist Parties to live in the same political family. “We have formed the opinion that the Communist Party is not only a political party but a conspiracy,” said Mr Morrison. “They have their party members open and avowed, but also secret members in various Labour organisations and elsewhere. They issue secret instructions to their people as to what they are to do and the amount of money they get hold of is, in itself,,' a matter of considerable mystery.” Conspiracy Within Party.

Mr Morrison continued that if the Communists affiliated they would constitute an elaborate internal section. There would be conspiracy within the party against its leadership, seeking, as they did, to subordinate the British to an external interest. They would be a positive nuisance. Speaking as former Home Secretary, Mr Morrison added that there were some very disturbing cases of espionage during the war, in which the Dommunist Party was involved. One or trie most deplorable aspects of Communist activity was the choice of agents for its illegal work. It had ,chosen young and simple people and had ruthlessly wrecked the lives of some of them for their own purposes. Mr Tanner, president of the Amalgamated Engineering Union, moving the affiliation resolution, was interrupted several times. Professor Harold Laski called for order, urging delegates to give Mr Tanner the same consideration as Mr Morrison. i

When- a card vote was taken, the chairman said the total did not agree with the total delegates and their votes.

One delegate interjected that some delegates had left the hall before the vote, was taken, and the chairman replied that if some delegates had not observed their duties they must take the consequences.