BOLSHEVIK BLUFF

Evening Star, Issue 17032, 1 May 1919, Page 7

BOLSHEVIK BLUFF

TEMPTING TiTE NEW ZEALAND TROOPS. An interesting sample of the Bolshevik propaganda carried out amongst the Ncw Zealaud troops while in Germany has been handed to the Auckland ' hfUiV ' in the shape of a cheaply-printed leaflet which was distributed broadcast amongst the British troops in occupied Germany. The pamphlet hj; headed. " Why are you not demobilised, British soldiers and comrade.*?" and in its. first sentence it annou'.ices th::t the war hi over and " Prussian militarism bus been overthrown by the working classes of Germany " —a. sentiment the humor of which would doubtless, be relished by the men who fought through the heroic months of the final big push. Answering for itself the quaint query. "Why you not go home?''' the pamphlet states that the Briti-h Government dare not tell the troops the real reason—namely, t'hivt under the pretext of forming a League of Nations "the allied Govern- ! meats are dividing up a.monpst themselves i the. rich territories of Europe. Asia, and j Africa." ! " Isn't it clear," continues this ingeni- j cus document, "that the real reason of j the war was because Prussian militarism \ wanted to conquer the world from Ihej allied capitalists, and the allied capital- j ist-s wanted to steal all they could from ; their brother robbers in Berlin? And you \ are now under aims and unable to l'o I home to your wive? arid families because ; English and French bankers, capitalists, j and lords are making you the watchdog? j of their ill-gotten gaiiis." j The pamphlet sets forth in primitive i argument the ease for .Bolshevism, and ! declares that the negotiations of the Allies ! v.lih the Eberi-Soheidomanii Government, | the- pupT.iet of the Prussian militarists. | .shows that the British and French Go-j venrments. are really the secret friends j of Prussian militarism, because they are j the defenders! of the rich. It paints a | picture of Lloyd George, Cie- j menceau, and Foch re-action- 1 ary armies to down the German revolu- j tic;n and shoot the English miners ,\va : railwayman if they dare to strike for j belter conditions of liviun-, and ask* if it is not time that the Free Labor Pepublk: of Germany joined hands with .1 Free Labor Republic in Eualand to rid Europe and the world of exploitation ?'.hl slavery. "Remember you are comrades of trie German workintr classes. Elect your own councils of soldiers' deputies. Long live the Union of the British and German workers !! ! Long live the social revolution 1■ ! Lohit live- the ei"ant:ip;vti«n of labor from shivery!!!" are the eonclndius>- seutim-'ute of this precious pamphlet. The exclamation mark.*; are made in German v, T'hev are almost superfluous even by way of emphasiaim; tha unconscious satire of the appeal.