"AS POISONOUS AS TYPHOID GERMS"

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 50, 28 February 1921, Page 8

"AS POISONOUS AS TYPHOID GERMS"

DANGEROUS LITERATURE

PUBLISHERS' AGENT FINED.

A plea of guilty was entered hf Walter Nash (Mr. W. F. Ward) at the Magistrate's Court to-day to two charges of having brought into New Zealand .literature advocating, encouraging, and advising lawlessness and violence, but the explanation given tempered tfafe offences, -which were accordingly met by the imposition of a nominal fine.

Mr. P. 'S. K. Macassey, Grown Prosecutor, referred to the War under which the informations had been laid, and read an extract from one of the offending publications—certainly a violently worded paragraph. Detective-Sergeant Lewis said that he bad interviewed Nash on his arrival from Australia, on 4th January, as to the .literature he had with. him. Nash invited witness to make an examination, and a bundle of about twenty books and pamphlets was found in his personal luggage. Of these witness took -three, "The Communist Programme of the World Revolution," "The Communist Movement," containing paragraphs reprinted from the "programme," and "To the I.W.W. : A Special Message from the Communist International, Moscow," 'leaving Nash with a copy of each of the pamphlets, there being two copies of the majority of the booklets. Several of the other publications in the bundle were written in a similar strain, but were less violent; "they favoured, but did not actually encourage, violence."

Nash, giving evidence, said that he had been absant 'from New Zealand for about nine months on a business tour in connection with his book agencies, which included those of several English, and American houses publishing church, intellectual, juvenile, and research works, and the agency of the National Labour Press, London. That organisation, said Nash, existed essentially for the publication of socialistic literature, and was violently opposed to the principles of Bolshevism, though not to its critics.,

" Your object, tben," said Mr. Ward, "is to bring liome to the Labour party and populace the principles underlying Christianity?"

"You mean by the circulation of that sort of thing?',' interjected the Magistrate in tones of astonishment.

Nash replied that the circulation of such literature was not part of his programme, and went on to explain how the pamphlets had come into his possession. Prior to leaving: Australia he had called at the offices of a. socialist publisher, Andrade, in Melbourne, and had asked for samples of the publications. He had been given a bundle, which, ha carried to the ship and had not opened till his interview with Detective-Sergeant Lewis. It was a month before he heard anytbinff more of the matter, and in that time, had he wished to do so, he could have circulated the copies loft in his possession. He was not then aware that it was any offence to sell such literature.

"It is an off once to. have it in y.our possession at all, answered Mr. Hunt. "Do you approve of the principles set out in the" pamphlets?" asked Mr. Macassey of Nash.—"lt is not the kind of propaganda I would -use k> bring about reforms, which, however, I consider should be brought about in another manner." '

Nash went oh to elaborate hie meaning but was interrupted by the Magistrate, who said, "These books came to you in a- business way, and' if they had been the sort of thing you wanted you would havo used them, but you found that style of literature not what you wanted. Will you give an assurance that, you will have nothing more to do. with it?"—"lf you ask whether I am going to circulate them I say no. I will do nothing to help such a movement, but I believe that reforms must be brought about in a constitutional manner."

"If I were satisfied that these books had Wen brought to New Zealand with tho idea of distributing them. I would impose the maximum fine of £100 or send the man to gaol for , the longest period possible," said Mr. Hunt. "They are as dangerous to the body politic as typhoid germs deliberately placed in a city reservoir, but this case has not that serious aspect." A fine of £5, with £3 10s coste, was imposed on the first information, and Nash was convicted and ordered to pay similar costs on the second count.

Two similar cases are to be heard on Friday. • • ' ■