Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE SATURDAY, MARCH, 18th, 1922. A SALUTARY LESSON.

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 March 1922, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE SATURDAY, MARCH, 18th, 1922. A SALUTARY LESSON.

/ Lum Reds on the Rand are no doubt now feeling- very sorry for i henisel ve.s, but the great bulk of (In 1 workers in South Africa, and, indeed, throughout the world, will uuve no sympathy to waste on them. The salutary lessor given during the past few days should do much to disabuse (he extremists of their mistaken belief in the eflieacy of direct action as opposed to constitutional means of obtaining their' desires. The quick action of the Government in declaring .martial law did much io suppress the rebellion: but the loyal assistance promptly forthcoming from citizensand burghers of all shades of political thought did more. Had the workers generally joined iqi with tin' Reds against the Government, the revolution would have been of a much more protracted nature, and j,.,. i.i i

S I lie country would nave sunereu effects which years would not have entirely eradicated. 'There is now no doubt that the upheaval was the work of exl remists who merely pose as industrialist supporters in order io foster their own anarchic aspirations. The assistance given by all classes of the community in routing the rebels is a clear proof that the Bolshevists, International Socialists, Communists, and similar cranks are not wanted by the genuine workers on the Band, and the workers in other countries should not fail to learn the lesson so pointedly demonstrated. Had the extremist element not entered into the situation, the dispute between the mine owners and the miners would in all probability have been settled by ballot. The statement issued by the Industrial Federation gives an illustration of Hie methods of intimidation used by the Beds towards the workers, as they presumably did not look upon union representatives as “capitalists.” The official state--ment of the Federation points out that revolvers and. other -weapons were freely used in order to induce the augmented executive to declare a general strike; further, that the general strike was put into operation by unauthorisoi ( persons. The strike is now called off by the Industrial Federation, as distinct from the augmented • executive, and the Federation .

| completely repudiates Hie rebellion. If any more proof were required of the real nature of the revolution, this statement supplies it. It exposes the policy of misrepresentation adopted by the lieds, who alleged that the general strike was due to the “iniquitous” Chamber of Mines and the ‘‘capitalistic” Government. The intimidating tactics pursued by the Reds prior to the actual fight- | ing were followed by outrages ' that were not excelled by ! tlie Huns of 191-1. Abuse of the j Red Cross and the white flag, i murders, wholesale looting, drunken orgies and oilier outrages i were numerous. The restraint j exercised b\- the natives, despite I the aggression of the Reds, i averted a catastrophe of appallJ ing magnitude. Tlie results of a i racial conflict would have been I terrible, as the natives, once tb.or- | ougltly aroused, would not have | si upped to make sure whether the I whites were extremists' or not. The behaviour of the police and the Citizens' .Defence Force, under exceedingly trying- conditions, was splendid, and the gallant stands made by isolated bodies of police at the dawn of the rebellion did a great deal to make its final suppression easier. The task of rei-onstruction must now be faced, and it is pleasing io know that the people themselves are making a determined effort to ensure the early return of normal industrial Il conditions. The Reds on the » Rand have received their answer in an unmistakeable manner, and it. is sincerely hoped that the lesson will bo taken io heart by the r extremists who are pursuing- a policy of direct action, outrage, ? and murder in other parts of the wot Id. The practical lesson just 1 administered will probably accomplish more towards opening- the eyes of the moderates to the real character of their pseudo “comrades" than unlimited preaching would have done. If that resuL is brought about, then the Rand ; revolution, great as its cost has been, will not have occurred in vain.