ANTI-WAR CONGRESS

Evening Post, Issue 29, 4 February 1935, Page 11

ANTI-WAR CONGRESS

W. 2.:' DELEGATES .MEET

PROGRAMME ADOPTED

The first all-New Zealand Congress against war and Fascism was opened at the Trades Hall: on Saturday .by Mr. W. H. Nugent, organiser'. of the Australian movement, and continued yesterday. 'Hiose who presided during the discussions of various matters were:—Mr; C. Cole (Christchurch), No More War Movement; Mr. F. Allerby (Palmerston North),. Returned Soldiers' Association, Council''Against War; Mrs. Ritchie (Napier), Women's Committee; Mr. H. Armstrong (Napier), Council Against War; Senator ~ Ray, Australian delegate; Miss Rawcliffe, International Book Shop;-: Mr. A. E. Postlewaite (Auckland), Returned Soldiers' Association; Mr.: A: Galbraith (Greymouth), Council Against War. . ~ . • There were present 55 delegates from Dunedin, Greymouth, Christchurch, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Napier and Hastings, Auckland, and from Wellington and the surrounding districts. These1 delegates,' it was stated, represented a total membership of 20,142. ' ' -■■;■■ The constitution ' adopted, comprised a national council1 of 36 members with' headquarters at Wellington, elected by provincial councils . on the following basis:—Wellington 6,. Auckland. 4, Christchurch ; .3, Dunedin 3,-.West Coast 3, Hawke's Bay 2, returned soldiers 2, unemployed,4, and.one each from Pair merston North, Wanganui, Gisbbrne, New Plymouth, Miners' Union, Railways Union, Watersiders' Union, Seamen's Union, and Typographical Union. Membership is open to all sincerely opposed to-war and Fascism irrespective of class, political affiliation, nationality, or religious belief.. Until the provincially-elected. National, Council meets, the Wellington section will act as provisional committee. * ; Resolutions were passed pledging the delegates to organise in the most effective way to prevent war and the spread of Fascism, demanding the release .of anti-war and anti-Fascist prisoner? :; in Germany, protesting against the persecution of E. Kisch" and G. Griflen, delegates to the recent' Australian conference, and calling for the co-opera-tion of the" executive of the .''.Labour Party and all trade unions. THE PROGRAMME. The programme adopted was as;follows:— ' ■ 1. To work towards the stopping of the manufacture and transport' of munitions and all other' materials es; sential to the conduct of war, through mass organisation,; demonstrations, picketing and, if necessary, strikes. 2. To expose everywhere the preparations for war, whatever form they take, whether they be driect expenditure for arms, the militarisation of" the unemployed by various measures, -the strike-breaking powers of the Harbours Amendment Bill, or war propaganda in the Press, schools, or other places. 3. To demand the transfer of all war funds to relief of unemployment,;, a higher standard of sustenance for all unemployed and employment on nonwar work at trade union rates of wages; the restoration of wagel cuts, pensions, and an" increase in educa 1 tion expenditure as well as the total abolition of unemployed camps whatever their form. 4. To oppose the policies of New Zealand Imperialism in the Far East and Samoa (New Zealand's .war prize),:to support the struggles of all colonial peoples against all Imperialist policies of exploitation and armed? suppression, and to demand self-determina-tion for the Maoris and Samoans. 5. To support the peace policy of the. Soviet Union for total and. universal disarmament, which today with the support of the masses in all countries constitutes the clearest and most effective opposition to war throughout the world; to oppose all :; attempts .to weaken the Soviet Union, whether these take the-form' of misrepresentation and false propaganda, diplomatic manoeuvring, or intervention by Imperialist Governments. 6. To oppose .all, developments' leading to Fascism in New Zealand and abroad; to expose and oppose the growing encroachments on the. civil liberties of the masses, the growing acts of dictatorship, and Impression of our socalled ' democratic Governments., In particular to fight against the proposed re-enactment of the War Regulations Act.

7.- To win the armed forces, to, the support of this programme.

8. To give effective international support to all ' anti-war-anti-Fascist fighters against their -own Imperialist Governments," arid' to demand ;the release of all who are imprisoned in capitalist gaols or concentration camps as a result of their activity in' struggling against war and, Fascism.

9. To enlist.for our programme women in industry, oh the farms, and in the homes, and to enlist the youth, especially those who because of the1 economic crisis have been deprived of training in, the,industries, .and are therefore more susceptible to Fascist and war propaganda.

10. To form councils against war and Fascism in every 'city, suburb, town, and country centre; in every industry, particularly in the basic war industries; to secure the support for this programme of all organisations seeking to prevent war, paying special attention to Labour, ex-servicemen, unemployed, women, and farmers' organisations, and trade unions.