PURGE OF COMMUNISTS

Evening Star, Issue 23444, 8 December 1939, Page 12

PURGE OF COMMUNISTS

MR SEMPLE ALLEGES THREATS TO HIS LIFE ANONYMOUS LETTERS. AND SABOTAGE [Per United Press Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, December 7. Throats to his life and of damage to his property have been made against the Minister of Public Works (Hon. R. Semple). Disclosures of the actions and threats against him were made to-day by Mr Semple in an interview with the ‘ Press,’ in which he set out to justify his campaign against the Communists. “ They talk about my violent attacks on them,” exclaimed Mr Semple. “ The attacks upon myself have been not only violent, but in some cases criminal. 1 havo let them pass without retaliating because I have bigger things to do. I have had scores of anonymous letters sent to my home, threatening my life and threatening to burn my home down.

“ Emery powder was put into the crankcase and feed supply of my private motor car, and sugar was put in the benzine tank,” he said. _ “ Even now 1 have to telephone the Kilbirnie police when Mrs Semple" and I leave to ask them to keep an eye on my home. I have been threatened on many occasions by anonymous letters, and my wife has received letters of a similar type, telling her that she would be a widow before long. I have my own opinion where these documents and cowardly threats came from, because this vendetta against me began at a time when I was purging tho ranks of the Public Works of that type of men, and now the Communist Party and its crowd have the audacity to charge me with making violent and unprovoked attacks on them.”

From the supporters of the Communist Party, said the Minister, he had had his share of slander. When he took over the Public Works Department the Communists did their damndest to prevent any progress being made; they refused to work and tried to persuade others not to work. Throughout the Dominion, they carried out vile and criminal propaganda on the jobs until he cleaned them out. If he had not done so, progress would have been impossible. He had not formerly talked publicly about their attacks on him since ho had condemned their loafing and treachery to prevent the smooth working of his department. Now that they squealed because he attacked them, it was well that the public should know how cowardly and hypocritical they were.