COMMUNIST MENACE

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 December 1925, Page 5

COMMUNIST MENACE

LABOUR OPPOSES PROSECUTION t

lAusualiau and N.Z. Cable Association.

LONDON, December 2.

In the House oi Commons, Mr Ram say MacDonald moved a vole of cen sure upon the institution of prosecu cions against Communisis as oeing i. Violation of the rights of freedom o. speech. His Party, he said', were not communists. it was opposed to tin Communists. It was not a question or the soundness or unsoundness of tin Communists’ doctrines, but one oj whether their prosecution was a. service or a dis-service to the state. A man had the right to press his belie, that a revolution was inevitable for t. transformation of society. If, however, he sought to create a revolution, then let him take the consequences. The 'Communists had created a reflex public sympathy. Comiuunism, instead of being set back, had scattered broadcast.

Sir AV. Joynson Hicks, in replying said that there must be some limits t< liberty, if liberty was to be maintained. There was as much freedom ii England to-day as before the war- The Communists were not prosecuted fo. the advocation of an alteration in the Constitution, but for attempting ar. alteration by violence and by unconstitutional means.. The Communist', knew there was no hope of altering thi. Constitution by means of the ballot box. They sought by means of disolder to produce a revolution and civil war. No .member of the Govenimeni had interfered with the- prosecution one iota.

Sir D. Hogg, in'replying, accepted the sole responsibility for the prosecution. He said the evidence showed a criurinal conspiracy against the state. The penalty for the same offence in Moscow would have been death Everyone in the country was entitled to free speech, but- it was against the law to attempt to stir up fellow citizens to revolt.

'l’lie motion was defeated by 351 votes to 127.

A Labourite, Mr. Adamson, who persisted in ignoring the Deputy Speaker’s ruling that he could not ask urgent questions, was, amidst disorder, on Air. Churchill’s motion, suspended by 260 votes to 91- There was an angij scene, which the suspension ended.

Captain Wedgwood Benn moved ; private bill, providing that no person shall be convicted for expressing aiopinion. The bill was read the first time.

TROTSKY’S REVIVAL.

RIGA, December 2.

The report of Trotsky’s rehabilitation has received unexpected confirmation. His old opponent, Kamaneff, speaking at the Communist conference at Ros toff, declared that the misunderstandings between Trotsky and the Communist Party’s Central Committee were clearodu up, and Trotsky . will shortly resume his active work.

TO PREVENT CORRUPTION.

LONDON. December 2.

Mr Locker Lampson. Under-Secre-tary if Home iVffairs. introduced the Prevention of Corruption Bill, the ob ject of which is to prevent foreign money entering the country for the purposes subversive to the peace of the realm.

Air Locker Lampson said the measure was designed to bring to book the English mercenaries who sold themselves for foreign shekels to the high priests of disorder. 'Hie Bill was read a first time.

By 272 votes io 114 the House refused Air Thirtle (Labour) permission to introduce a. Bill for the repeal of the Incitement to Mutiny Act, passed <n 1797, at the time of the mutiny of The Nore. QUEENSLAND’S EJECTION. BRISBANE, December 3. By 39 votes to 28, the Brisbane Trades .and Labour .Counqjl decided to evict Communists from Trades Hall.