Communism On The Air

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 153, 25 March 1938, Page 13

Communism On The Air

Sir, —It would be. refreshing if your correspondents who write on the subject of “Communism on the Air” would stick to facts instead of weaving airy theories about what might be. A person signing- -herself “Mother” states that Dr. G. H. Schofield might be dismissed because tije Communist Party's official organ attacked him in a recent issue, or, more correctly, criticised his speeches on the grounds of inaccuracy and gross anti-radical bias. It may com; fort your correspondent to learn that the doctor is still carrying on his lectures in the same manner. It seems that he went for a holiday and some imaginative person jumped to the conclusion that the sinister influence .of .. the . Communist Party had secured his dismissal. It would be very comforting for the writer to think that the Communist Party really possessed such influence with the Government as it is credited with possessing. The truth is that every section of opinion with- the sole exception of the Communists have reasonable ffeedom of the air. Religion, imperialism, grosslydistorted history., totally unscientific discussions on population problems from a reactionary angle—the exponents of all these things have reasonable freedom of the air. The one body of opinion, and that an extremely important one, if only from a purely educational standpoint, that is never expressed, is the theory of Communism. The travel talk mentioned by “Mother” was purely a travel talk. Why should not there be travel talks about the U-S.S.R. just the same as there are about Holland or Switzerland? But that, think our pseudo-freedom lovers, is different ! The whole of the controversy about freedom of the air has. a different lesson than the one preached by the anti-Labour writers. It shows that no matter how lenient and conciliatory . to reactionary opinion the Labour Government may be, it will only be driven still further. Seeing there are no thanks for pursuing a policy of conciliation, . the Government may as well really -do part of what it is supposed to do and make the air available for Communist lectures. —-I am, etc., s.w.s. Wellington, March 23.