COMMUNISTS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 42, 18 August 1930, Page 8

COMMUNISTS

ACTIVITIES IN SYDNEY WRECKING EXPEDITION (From "The Post's" Representative.) SYDNE/, 4th August. Times of distress offer all sorts of opportunities to Communists, and they have been particularly activo in Sydney during the last month or so. j They have fostered strikes, particularly the ill-fated strike last week of men who wore engaged on relief work, they have intimidated workmen, they have led the unemployed into all sorts of scrapes which have done the idld no good. Now, this woek, they descended upon a vacant house in one of the suburbs close to the city and wrecked it. They broke down doors, shattered windows, tore down lights and fittings, and smashed a gas stove.

The raid was in tho nature of a roprisal organised by the/Workers' Dofenco Army, a markedly Communistic organisation, against landlords in general, and particularly against a landlord who had evicted an unemployed musician who was £18 behind with his rent. On Monday morning tho Communists held a meeting, and a call was made for twenty "comrades" from the Workers' Army to raid the house. Thero was a big response to tho call for house wreckers, and nearly forty man went out on their audacious mission. The raiders wrought great havoc in a remarkably brief time, and then rushed and caught a tram back to the city. Neighbours did not realise the seriousness of what was happening until it was all over. It was not until after the raiding party was well on its way back to the city that tho police were informed of what had happened.

The police were greatly hampered in their inquiries, but thoy soon had reason to suspect the Communists. F&r that reason they decided to raid the Communist Hall in tho city just as tea was being served. They quietly mounted the narrow stairway leading to tho hall, and made a sudden entrance. A3 Boon as tho police entered a powerfully built man sprang over a dining table and rushed them. Sergeant Cooinbes was felled, and then several constables were flung to the floor. A few womon who were in the hall screamed, and one of them fainted. The others urged their comrades to stand their ground. Within a few seconds of their arrival the police found themselves surrounded by about 60 excited men and women. Some were fighting, some were preparing to fight, and others were hurling abuse at the police. Finally the police were given permission to use their batons. The batons had a sobering effect on the crowd. They fell back a step, and were about to continue the fight when one of the women called out: "Take it easy, boys. Go quietly. They are too many for you." A sergeant then shouted that the police had come to the hall to make.certain arrests, and that they would do their duty no matter what opposition confronted them. The police then selected, one by one, the men they were after, and seized them. Thoy struggled violently, and the general outcry commenced afresh. Thoy were handcuffed and, still resisting, were dragged down tho stairway to the waiting patrols. Those who were left in the hall crowded on the heels of the police, and , they sang lustily their favourite song, "The Red Flag." In all eleven men were taken into custody, and they have since been remanded on charges of wilful damage.