COMMUNIST PARTY

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 August 1929, Page 8

COMMUNIST PARTY

. LAUGHING-STOCK OF WORLD. Mr A. J. Cook, the secretary of the Miners’ Federation, made a lively reply last week to the announcement from Moscow that for his “betrayal of (.'he British proletariat” lie had been expelled from honorary membership of the Moscow Soviet and honorary studentship of the Mining Academy.

ilr Cook said : “The announcement that I have been placed under a ban of excommunication by Moscow is news to me, as I am unaware of my membership of such bodies. I have not been informed, either of •membership or expulsion. This is another fresh stunt, no doubt, initiated by the British Communist Party, who are after my scalp because I oppose their stupid, disruptive tactics. I visited the Russian Trade Union Congress in 1926, representing the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain while not being of the Communist Party. I was welcomed by 9,000,000 Russian trade unionists, only a few of whom are trade members of the Russian Communist Party. It is quite possible that when visiting various organisations they 'might have made me honorary member or something of that sort.

“T have had no connection or communication. with any of these bodies since, so the statement is of no importance, but I do know, from my own personal investigations while in Russia, that the whole British position was grossly misrepresented and that false reports about trade union and political leaders of Britain were given by leaders of the Communist Party. This can be corroborated by other trade union representatives who have visited Russia since. The Communist Party of Great Britain is more responsible than anyone else for the bad relations between Russian trade unions and the Russian Government and ourselves. The Russian workers want association and relationship with the British workers, as the Soviet Government wants diplomatic relationship with the British Government for trade purposes, for winch I and all other trade union and political leaders of this country are working, but which the Communist Party of Great Britain is doing its best to destroy. Possibly by shaking hands with the Prince of Wales 1 have roused the hatred of the Communist Party of Russian as well as Britain, which I do not regret. What a farce, seeing that they gave such a welcome to King Amanullah, and 1 am sure they would give even greater welcome if the Prince of Wales visited Russia. I should have thought that they wore too busy in Russia with expulsions of their own leaders to pay such attention to me . Poor Comrades Trotsky. Tomsky, and others, who are now labelled* traitors and renegades, can rest assured that time; science, Socialism and sense will conquer in th£ end. The present tactics of the Communist Party have made them the laughing-stock of the world.”