COMMUNISTS’ REPLY

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 December 1939, Page 4

COMMUNISTS’ REPLY

CHALLENGE TO MR. SEMPLE

[PER PRESS ASSOCIATION'.]

AV ELLINGTON, December 10

A statement and a challenge in reply lo comments by Mr. Semple in Christchurch has been issued by Miss Elsie Freeman, Wellington provincial secretary, of the Communist Party of New Zealand. It reads as follows: — “The Secretariat of the Communist Party of New' Zealand (Wellington Province) has carefully studied the statements made to the Press in Christchurch by Mr. Robert Semple regarding threats made on his life by persons whom he infers are Communists. “We would first like to thank Mr. Semple for his frank admission that workers were victimised from public works for militancy or political opinions. Such acknowledgment is rare, and will convey a great deal to the people of this country. We find that, in fact, few Communists were among them.

“Contrary to Mr. Semple’s accusation, Communists are not loafers and have never attacked the administration of public works, though we have on occasion opposed the methods used by the department and the Minister in their dealings with the workers concerned.

“It is interesting'to note that one of the jobs on which Communists were numerically strong was the Mohaka Viaduct, which was completed in record time, and whose builders were publicly congratulated by Mr. Semple and promised that they would never lack work so long as, he was Minister.

“Second, we are disturbed to hear that political opponents of Labour have threatened Mr. Semple’s life, homo and security. Anyone with the smallest acquaintance with the work of the Communist Party knows that we strongly oppose any form of terrorism. and do not condone criminal activity or drunkenness in any shape or form. We feel that Mr. Semple should immediately place the matter in the hands of the police and take every possible step to bring to justice those responsible for these dangeroijs actions In order that the true enemies? of Mr. Semple should be brought to justice, we consider that every co-operation should be extended to him.

“We would therefore be please of an opportunity to peruse the threatening letters which Mr. Semple has received and Jo give our assistance in tracing the culprits. We would repeat that Communists do not support terrorist or lawless actions, and should any individuals with such misguided ideas worm their way into our party they will be dealt with in accordance with our constitution, which limits members to persons of good character and who are loyal to the working class movement.

“We do not propose to reply to Mr. Semple’s attacks on Communists in the. terms which he uses himself. From one end of the country to the other he has called us such names as ‘vultures.’’ ‘vipers,’ and ‘white-livered, dishonest curs,’ without a particle of evidence to back up his allegations. “A leaflet published by our party which recommended, among other things, Government legislation for a moratorium on house mortgages and hire purchase agreements during the unsettled conditions of the war, in order to assist people who are buying their homes and may find their security jeopardised, -was distorted by him to make it appear that we incited workers not to pay their rents. These allegations are untrue from beginning to end, and if the same channels of publicity were open to us as those commanded by Mr. Semple, we would readily convince the public of this fact.

“We challenge Mr. Semple to produce and substantiate any concrete charge against us.”