FIFTH COLUMNIST ACTIVITIES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 132, 16 March 1948, Page 2

FIFTH COLUMNIST ACTIVITIES

Should Be Stamped Out By Law

MR HOLLAND ATTACKS COMMUNISM

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, March 15. An Immediate meeting of Parliament to pass legislation providing that persons guilty of subversive activities or owing allegiance to a foreign Power should be ineligible for employment in any branch of the Public Services of New Zealand or in the management of its industrial system was advocated by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr S. G. Holland) in a speech in Wellington to-day.

“The matter is of such desperate urgency that we should call Parliament together and pass a law without, a. day’s delay,” said Mr Holland. He believed in democracy, he continued, and in the right of people to subscribe to any political philosophy they chose, but he did not subscribe to the idea that fifth columnists had the right to organise the overthrow of our democratic way of life. Mr Holland was speaking at a gathering held under the auspices of the National Party. The president of the Party (Mr W. J. Sim, K.C.) presided. The new order which the people had hoped for and had fought for during the war was still an unrealised dream, said Mr Holland. Instead of being busy with the tasks of reconstruction,' the world was torn asunder. There was even the fear of another world conflagration. To ignore the signs of the times would be less than their duty, he declared. Unfortunately the United Nations Organisation, established to maintain peace and promote human welfare, appeared powerless to perform its proper function and arrest the pattern of events which had shocked the world in Czechoslovakia, Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, and other countries. Russia was out for world domination and she sought to impose her Soviet form of totalitarianism on the whole world, including the British Empire, of which New Zealand was a member.

United Nations Not Ready

In France, Russia sought to establish her system by causing chaos and disorders in French factories. In Italy there was a danger of civil war. Finland and Persia were under great pressure from Russia. Greece was torn asunder by civil war promoted from outside her borders. Palestine was facing civil war —all with the United Nations unwilling, unready or unable to enforce its decisions. Half of China and half of Korea were under Communist control. The one bright spot was the bond of friendship and understanding between the British Empire and the mighty United States of America, plus a happy conclusion of the agreements with France and the Benelux countries. Turning to New Zealand, Mr Holland said that the same technique of stirring up industrial strife, which was being employed in other countries, was being' used here, in the important Mangakino hydro works, where 900 workers were idle and part of the workings was now flooded, trouble had arisen because the local secretary of the workers' union had been transferred elsewhere. The engineers felt they could not work with the elements which had been persisting among the men, and that the control of the work was being slowly filched from the engineers in charge. The only reason why the Communists sought power 1 was to impose the Soviet system and destroy the New Zealand way of life, Mr Holland continued. They were using industrial unionism to achieve their ends.

Subversive Organisation

“Communism is a subversive organisation,” be said. “It is anti-British. It is anti-Christian. In my opinion vve should pass a law declaring such subversive activities unlawful. Until we do that this poisonous propaganda will continue. We cannot sit quietly by and read what is happening in other countries. These things can and will happen here unless we take precautions that will prevent them.”

Mr Holland also' made reference to defence matters. “In New Zealand, notwithstanding the dangers that face us, we do not appear to have any defence policy,” he declared. “We have allowed our defence system to fade away. Our training staffs are being reduced to small numbers. These questions transcend all considerations of party politics. In my opinion we should immediately set about the task of determining an adequate defence policy, so that we in New Zealand will have done everything that lies in our power to ensure the peace of the world by equipping ourselves in readiness to defend our country. ’