RED EUROPE

Grey River Argus, 29 November 1920, Page 4

RED EUROPE

CONCEALING THE TRUTH. (By Hiki.l I read that the police have, after an offensive lasting several days, succeeded in Christchurch in capturing sundry copies of Frank Ansfcey's book "Red Europe." If they only ma-do I a general offensive they would c-np-| ture enough copies in the country to start a big book shop. It certainly is wonderful how the ruling element try and mould tbe people's mind to suit their own purposes. It is said a W.E.A. man was offered a copy ot "Red Europe." but there is nothing wonderful in that, for v? can be Vought openly anywhere in Australia. Everybody who wants to know- tbe truth about Russia has read it, I think. But there are others who don't worry about. the sources of their information. It is surprising bow very few people 'seem to understand . the real meaning of the word "Bolshevism." On mentioning it the other day a man in the street^ flared up at me, and almost I shouted: "Don't talk Bolshevism to me I I've got no time for Bolsheviks!" "Why?" I asked. "What have they done to you, and what do you know about them?" "I don't want to know anything about them," he said, as be bolted away — the -ip- ' loyal policy all over. Condemn- the subject on the evidence for the piosecution only, and our Government are making bold to see that their blind followers and supporters become acj quatnted with the facta(?j. only of 'the I case foi' the prosecution— against tho 1 Lab ur Government Labour movement. So far as the j writer knows the word "Bolshevism' ' only came into existence in this country after our "gallswvt Allies," the Russian soldiers, chucked in their j job killing fellow-creatures at +he princely remuneration of $d per day, I and, driven to desperate plight by | thei rdespotic mason, were hi ought to realise that their oppressors who possessed everything numbered by :> few (the Bolsheviks), whilst they themselves numbering millions were in. the great majority and therefore they (the Bolsheviks) were most entitled to rule. This is • the -'little all', that this writer, can . h ntl {,m about Russia, except that the Soviet system of Gover ii! >Nt .which, acceding to what meagre information leaks through, gives every single person a proportionally representative voice in, the making and moulding of the laws of their country. While the Bolsheviks remain in power, the „p.t-il-ists of Europe =-re shaking in their shoes, and no stone has been '« ft unturned in order to bring about Ihe overthrow of the Soviet Cover .intent. For this purpose all the weight of tho capitalist press is brougt to bear in spreading anti-B Ishevik propaganda amongts the people, and witholdir.g the truth as much as possible. The following extract from a reliabele Australian paper will give readers r.n idea, of some of the processes employed: As illustrating bow difficult -t .s to get reliable information, one sii uld read the disclosures recently math' 1 about Denikin's propaganda activities in South Russia. The brilliant idea occurred to him to reprint a facsimile of the official Bolshevik newspaper published in Moscow. In this he mii eludes reports f massacres, nationalisation of women and the. like, inthen spread the newspaper abroad • a the genuine Bolshevik article. R - j ceived ia other countries it is .ft surJ prising that it was assumed to i:n\o been printed in Moscow, and '.lie p« «•• pie naturally said that if the l-«" sheviks themselves advocate thc-FO things, then it must be true. It vr.s some time before this scheme was y.-.---p sed. and even, yet this 'Bol_,..evik'' paper is being quoted. Many, perhaps most of the reports alleged v. come from Bolshevik sour«.« are «:»> ufactured for anti -Bolshevik propa- ! ganda purposes by men who have ne*- } er been near Russia, but nost people seem to believe them. MM> npl-.t-mnided people throughout New Zealand like to hear the truth, above all. about all things, but 'Mafis.v' u.ys | we musn't read any 'boo.es that contain unpleasant truths shot « J-y be i detrimental to the "Mensheyiks." I "Red Europe" is a book circulating in ' every other part of the British Empire bit "God's Own O untry." There are othe pamphlets published in Aus tralia: "The State and Revotatiou" (Ulianov); "The Soviets at Work" (Lenin) ; "The Russian Revolution" (Karl Badek)) "Soviet Russia" ficial Organ of Russian Soviet Gove rnment Bureau). If this kind ot I literature was allowed, as in Aust ralia, to be published in New Zealand, pc pie could formulate their own opinions, but so long as a repressive law remains in force, and the truth withheld from the people, it simply means that as the Government um't trust the people. It cannot hope by just methods to retain the confidence ' of the pc pie for long.

In Auckland Hindu street hawkers are confined to stands in tbe streets for which they have paid 7s 01 p->r week to the City Council (states the Auckland Star). The number of stands is fixed, and they are alloc ;d by ba^ot. The Council, recognising that '.he standholders were competing with shopkeepers paying heavy rents, h*tve inst i.i.sed the fee to 20s s - .c" wo-.:k.-A Chinese named Wong Shoo, who secreted himself on tbe steamer Gambetta, and went to Sydney; where the authorities declined to allow him to land, appeared before Mr W. R. M' Kean, S.M-, at the Police Court in Auckland recently, on three charges of breaches of the Alien 'Act states the New Zealand Herald). In answer to Senior Sergeant Earles, the Oriental smilingly admitted that he had left Paeroa and gone on a steamer to Sydney. "That's, right." Fines of £3, £2 and £1 respectively were imposed for each breach, the alternatives being one week, four days, and- three days.