SERVING SENTENCE

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 40, 17 February 1933, Page 9

SERVING SENTENCE

,MR. TOM MANN

THE MARCH ON LONDON

(From <'Tho Posts Representative.) '. . .-■■;;"; London; January io.: The y.eteran Socialist leader,' 'Tom Mann, who at one time'worked in. Australia, ana visited New Zealand, has been the subject of agitation, recently.Ho is serving; a sentence.in prison because he declined t(> onter-into a recoguisance\with sureties to be' of good behaviour and tP. keep;the peace.r .Mr. George. Lansbury, M.P.j and others risited the' Prime Minister at Xossieinbuth on Mann's behalf, but Mr. Mac Donald naturally1 referred'the deputation to the Homo Secretary. The latter has nip? given reasons why the sentence of the Court-should not be interfered with! : .' Sir John Gilmour points out in a letter to Mr. Lahsbury that .the National Unemployed Workers'. Movement, ''..-of: which Mann was treasurer, made' no secret that .it was responsible the march on London, which culminated in disturbances on' October 27-and .30 and on November 1. . . ' "I.Evidence during the trial. of Sid plias, chairman o_f the movement for -uieitemeht, to seditiqh. " indicated, ithat the 'N.U.W.M. i was. closely .connected with the Organisation in Moscow, known, as". the Profintern," and a. letter" ad-, dressed .to. Wai: Hanningtbn; (the.'- or-! ganiser )' and.tilewellyn'''clearly ahowed.that the organisation,in Moscow;was instigating the- N.TT.>Y.M. toi promote disorder, in this country.'.? ;\ '-'.-.' --. .There was' nothing to prevent, either or both Mann and lilewellyn.: from entering into, recognisances. \ ; "Had they chosen to do so no questionof imprisonment would have arisen and it would have been'open to either or both of them to take part inVthe deputation which took the petition to the X House of Commons on December 19. "The proceedings taken in; ; these cases in no way infringe the Tight of freedom of spcecsh or the'right of lawful public /meetings,'? adds the Home Secretary: "In-fact they lie at the very foundation-of tho security- for civil liberty peacefully enjoyed by the community as a whole... The executive Government,would he. guilty:; of the gravest dereliction of its primary duty to the public.: if it' failed at-.any time" to. take all'proper steps for the maintenance of law and public order threatened by the action contemplated by the N;U.W.M., and zip Government; worthy of ■■•■; the name could shirk its responsibility, in ;this matter. "After giving the most careful consideration to all the circumstances of these cases X have reached the definite conclusion that there are no grounds which would justify me, consistently with, my public duty, in recommending any interference ~:with the decision of the Court." -.-'. ■■■'• ■'■■:.-. ... ■■