ONCE OPENLY GRATEFUL FOR ‘RED’ SUPPORT

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 November 1949, Page 8

ONCE OPENLY GRATEFUL FOR ‘RED’ SUPPORT

(By a Special Correspondent)

There was a time when Labour-So-cialists were openly pleased to be associated with the Communist Party and openly grateful for its support. For the recorded instances of such expressions of gratitude, there are undoubtedly numerous others unrecorded. The Communists allege, for example, that the Labour-Socialist party sought tfieir aid in Mr Fraser’s election campaign for a Wellington seat in 1943 and that Mr Fraser himself expressed gratitude for their support. But Communism, in the eyes of Government members, is no longer respectable; it is dangerous to flirt with it, lest the great unsuspecting public should, somehow or other, come to suspect the intentions of the flirt. , x It is a remarkable fact that it was not until the time of the Westland byelection two years ago that there was any real hardening in the Government ranks towards Communism — obviously under instruction. The furore caused by the refusal of a Minister of the Crown, Miss Howard, to denounce Communism and the apparent confusion and hesitancy of the local candidate, Mr Kent, on similar issues, apparently drew the attention of the Labour-Socialist hierarchy to the urgent need for publicly disowning their erstwhile friends in the interests of political expediency. The same confusion is still apparent in Government ranks today. In the many columns of newspaper space given to Mr Kent’s speeches, his reference to the Communists occupy no more than a dozen lines. His objection to them, apparently, is merely that “their philosophy rejects Parliamentary government.” . He does not appear to recognise that there are far graver issues than that. . The common origin of the Socialist and Communist philosophies is, of course, well known. A striking illustration of this fact is the similarity of propaganda methods. Anybody who opposes a Communist is dubbed a “Fascist;” anybody who opposes a Labour-Socialist is dubbed as a “Tory,” which, of course, is plainly fantastic. In addition, both Communism and Labour-Socialism thrive on class warfare; they could not live without it. This explains the LabourSocialists’ opposition to the National Party’s plans to establish harmony and contentment in the community, it would not suit their purpose.