LABOUR & BOLSHEVISM

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 139, 12 June 1918, Page 7

LABOUR & BOLSHEVISM

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, —In your "report of Sunday night's meeting in the King's Theatre I am represented as saying: "If we could bring about what the Bolsheviks have done we would do so." That quotation is incorrect. What I did cay was: "If we could bring about what the Bolshevik's had tried to bring about, we would do so."

There is a considerable and important difference between theea two statements. The former would be foolish, for the simple reason that at present there is no mean 6of knowing witli absolute certainty what the exact condition of Russia is. All sorts of conflicting reports reach us here. On the one hand we have from the interventionist camp stories of incompetency, chaos, anarchy, starvation, rapine, bloodshed, and, apparently most lamentable of all from that particular point of view, great natural resources lying unexploited by international capitalists. The myriad mouths of the Northcliffe and kindred press shout this sort of stuff daily in our ears, apparently for the purpose of reconciling the public to an Oriental military penetration of Asiatic, if not European, Russia. On tho other hand, we have it on the authority of the Manchester Guardian, probably England's lea-ding newspaper, on that of Arthur Ran6ome, of the Daily News, of tho Cambridge Magazine, and numerous others, that, while disorder is still prevalent hi many parts, owing to the struggle of the adherents of Tsardom and autocracy against the revolution, and owing to the unscrupulous machinations of German militarism, vast and unprecedented improvements have already been made in the 6ocial life of Russia. Particularly is this true in connection with education, libraries, lecture courses, medical service, hospitals, conditions in workshops and factories, as well, of course, as the restoring of the lands to the peasants,

Among such a range of conflicting opinions as to facts, ]udgment on the prevailing state of affairs in Russia must be deferred. At least that is how it appeals to me, even if I do think, with some knowledge of the ideals and objective of the Russian Socialists, that there is sufficient material available to justify the conclusion that things in Russia are not nearly so bad as they are painted by the enemies of the Bolsheviks, and not nearly so good as their friends would desire.

While uncertainty is unavoidable a-s to the actual situation of Russian affairs, there is no room for any doubt as to what the Bolsheviks tried to bring about. That was a world's peace, and the establishment of Social Democracy. The Labour Party of New Zealand stands for these two objectives, as does every Labour and Socialist party in the world. We know that the Russians, failed, at least temporarily, to accomplish their aims in the matter of a world's peace. If the Governments and peoples of the Allied Powers had backed. them up there is good ground for believing that militarism would have received its death blow. Whether they will be as unsuccessful for- the time being in their efforts to establish social and industrial democracy in Russia is a fitting subject for speculation. Personally, I believe that their measure of success will be far greater than even the most sanguine student of sociology thought possible a year ago. In this connection the Nation *.-*.< — a^j oUiu iuitt-i; wiri iuvis vi buciausni, whether_ Bolshevik or Minshevik, were too firmly embedded in Russian coil for any invasion, Asiatic or European, to tear them up. In "conclusion, I would emphasise the Social:.-!; commonplace that in the process oi social revolution, or evolution, different methods are adopted to suit varying needs and emergencies. In Russia autocracy and repression made a physical force revolution inevitable. In New Zealand, unless repressive tendencies, already unfortunately in evidence, are recklessly developed and intensified beyond what seems credible, .the way to social emancipation is much easier and simpler. The people have adult suffrage, and can peacefully work out their own salvation. The Grey and Wellington North election results clearly indicate that such work has already begun.—l am, etc., < P. FRASER. 11th June. [The Post's report of Mr. Fraser's speech had this passage:—"On the Grey platform the Labour candidate stood for peace by negotiation—and what Grey said_ to-day the whole of New Zealand j would say to-morrow. In the Grey cam- /j paign the opponents of Labour bad thrown ft

i tiuiAixi^ anu uixuui/ig, ana pcciiiusiirg iiinjos \ utensila by boiling, the disease is easily I I communicated to others. Such persons ought act to use the utensils in' rmtau- I rants or public bars. "I have written to the Department of Public Health calling: attention to the matter, in view of the contagions nature of the disease, and the fact that it has already appeared-in its new and more active form among civilians. The Dental Corps is prepared to ■ cooperate with the Public Health Department, and furnish it with details of the treatment that is giving good results in camp. "We are also taking precautions to prevent the introduction of the disease in the Dominion. Instructions have been cabled to the Director of Medical Services and the Deputy-Diractor of Dental Services of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force that all returning soldiers suffering from the disease are,' as far as possible, to be treated prior to embarkation, and that arrangements are to be made for the treatment on the voyage out of thqse whose treatment had not been completed. Further, we have arranged that all suspicious cases shown during the dental examination on arrival shall.be sent at once to Trentham Camp 1O!T uUCloei"iOiO(j.Cai fcA.»iiiUM.iaCtl, Jiunlw^ cases being segregated, and not allowed to leave until a cure has been effected. On more than one occasion I have corresponded with civilian, dentiste telling them of the good results of the treatment, 1 and particulars of the course of treatment are being published in the New • Zealand Dental Journal."