INTERNATIONAL NOTES

Grey River Argus, 7 August 1937, Page 5

INTERNATIONAL NOTES

EDUCATION, PROGRESS AND FASCISM. J (Contributed by Left Wing”) ’! Elsie Freeman writes in the “Work- « ers’ Weekly” as follows: — C The New Education Fellowship I Conference, held in the four main 'I centres in New Zealand during the S last fortnight with the assistance of J distinguished educationists from overS seas, has had a very deep influence on | the life of this country. Most obvious I of course, is its effect on New Zea--5 land education and on the interest 3 of the public in the schools. i| Modern liberal ideas of education have been accepted for many years I past by a section of the teaching profession and the -public, who, in many instances, have fought for reforms in the face of reactionary opposition. It is well known that most of the past Ministers of Education have had little interest or knowledge in their job, Education being simply one of the portfolios which had to be filled. Conservative heads held most of the important positions in the Department and out-of-date and harmful metnods have persisted up to the present time. Dr. Boyd’s criticism of our educational system has come at an opportune time, as it is generally known that the present conditions are being I , thoroughly overhauled. The Minister of Education, Mr. Fraser, has listened sympathetically to the views put forward by visiting lecturers and made use of the opportunity to increase his 1 own knowledge of the department in 1 which he has already shown a keen 1 interest. The importance of the parents and the general public taking an interest in educational development and reforms has been brought forward more clearly than ever before. This is one of the great values of the conference. Education matters just as much to the workers as healthy conditions of work and living, shorter wonting hours and other immediate questions. The influences exerted on the rising generation are of very great importance to the future of the workers and farmers. Schools have notoriously been one of the main avenues by which the ruling class fixed its domination on the working class, impressing the philosophy of capitalism on the minds of the young. Just as Liberal ideas have spread in other fields in spite of capitalism —just as the workers have forced improved wages and conditions from the employers—so have modern educational ideas established them- ' selves and overcome the opposition of . the reactionary circles, in every democratic country in the world. ' It cannot be too much stressed that the reactionary groups of finance- ' capitalism oppose these liberal (level- ’ opments which they know must inevitably lead to revolt against the ex- *

isting order. That is why in Fascist countries one of the first steps is to take rigid control of the schools. Dr. Paul Dengler, of Vienna, fully exposed the terrible regimentation of I the youth in Germany and the training of the children in unquestioning obedience to the dictates of Hitler and other Fascist leaders. The same developments were shown to exist in every Fascist country. Culture is attacked by Fascism whose only real interest is the maintenance of power for the ruling groups of finance-capi-tal. In the face of the Fascist offensive in the whole democratic world, the supporters of modern culture —the advanced educationalists —all those who put forward liberal ideas—represent a stumbling block in the way of Fascism. Moreover, their experience shows that Fascism must be fought and leftward tendencies are strongly developing among the intellectuals. One has only to remember the graduates of Oxford and Cambridge who have fallen in Spain; Paul Robeson and his declaration that now it is necessary to declare one’s opposition to Fascism—the student strikes in America for the defence of peace—to realise the truth of this. Those who would advance and de--fend modern education are therefore natural allies of the working-class in the fight against Fascism. It is therefore for a double reason—because it is of real importance for the working class and because it will assist in building a barrier against Fascism in New Zealand —that we must welcome the proposal for the establishment of the New Education Fellowship in New Zealand. It must again be stressed that this movement must not be left to the teachers. Parents and the general public, including young men and women, must combine to make it a success. BAHREIN OIL FIELDS OF INTEREST TO BRITISH SHIP BUILDERS. The extensive operations of the Bahrein Petroleum Company Limited, has aroused considerable interest amongst British ship builders. Tankers will be required to carry j the increasing output and the British ; ship builders are speculating on con-1 struction being placed in the United ! Kingdom. j The production of crude oil in Bah- > rein in the first quarter of 1907 was 2,079.000 barrels, an appreciable increase compared with 1,249,000 barrels for the last quarter of the preceding year. How rapidly the output has been developed, is shown by the fact, that the total for the first quarter of 1936 was 699,000 barrels. Bahrein Island, the British Protectorate in the Persian Gulf, and therefore part of the British Empire, io one of the most outstanding fields of recent years.* COMMUNIST PARTY AND CATHOLIC WORKERS. When we publish an article dealing with Roman Catholicism in its relation to political questions, what is our object? Is il to persuade Protestant and Atheist workers that Roman Catholicism is reactionary. No, it is the Catholic workers with whom we are primarily concerned. And our object is not to destroy their religious beliefs, .but to get them moving with the masses of toilers of all persuasions in the fight against capitalism, the fight, i.e., for economic, social and political progress. This is the major problem to whic.i all else must be subordinated. Will we do this best by coming out in open attack upon Catholic doctrine —-especially when most of the “authoritative teachings” you quote are from a v Papal Encyclical issued nearly a century ago?' The Encyclical “Quad Anno” of Pius 9th and the rest from one which, on memory, was issued about 1876. Surely, instead of thus bluntly offend ing' the religious susceptibilities of our fellow workers, it is better to

deal with it (as we did in the “Weekly” of July 2nd) and point out that participation in progressive moveI mentis is compatible with belief in I Catholicism. For instance, a Papal I Encyclical states that a worker should receive a salary that will enable them to secure proper sustenance for themselves and their fam- ’ ilies,” and Archbishop O’Shea states that “the Pope insists that Catholics ? must be in the first line of the battle 1 for justice.” Should we not bring e forward these aspects of Catholic f doctrine in discussion with Catholic workers and endeavour to lead them 1 into practical participation in the 5 struggle for adequate wages, toi peace, for freedom and for progress'? t This does not mean that we must never, on any consideration, take 1 issue with the Catholic hierarchy—s for instance, in the attitude that high circles adopt with reference to Italy’s ■ \ invasion of Spain and Abyssinia. But 1 ; our approach should be one of showing how inconsistent the attitude of these high churchmen is with the best ; interests of the Catholic workers and ’ even of Catholicism itself, as well as ! of the interests of democracy and progress in general. ; Thus, in Spain to-day, the greater ' part of 20 million Catholics are in the 1 vanguard of the struggle against Fascism. In Germany to-day Catholics are also fighting heroically in the struggle against Fascism. And in both countries they are fighting side by side with Communist and Socialist workers. HOW TO BRING UNITY? How was this unity in struggle brought about. Was it through pointing out to them the reactionary aspects of certain Papal Encyclicals, the inconsistencies of St. Augustine and St. Jerome or the alleged scandalous behaviour of Pope Alexander 6th (Borgia) and some of his medieval predecessors? Of course not! You may saiely guarantee that in the front trenches ; at Madrid any discussion on the reac- : tionary attitude of a section of the < Church hierarchy is initiated by < Catholic workers not by atheistic 1 Communists. < First things first. If Catholic t workers can be won co united action, ; they will, in the course of their strug- I gles, come to realise who are their t friends and who are their enemies, t what ideas are truly democratic and t reasonable and what are not. Experience—actual personal and i class experience— is the best of all S teachers on questions of social doc- s trine and the Communist case, the s Communist movement, is such that t it can cheerfully and safely stand this test. The weakness of many other social, political and religious movements is shown in the fact that tnev cannot face this test and hence en- C deavour to prevent their adherents a from going outside their own limited r circle of associates and activity. o n

CATHOLIC M.P. TELLS OF CHURCH'S WEALTH IN SPAIN Under title of “Why Bishops Back Franco,” John McGovern, a Catholic, Independent Labour member of the British Parliament, for a Glasgow Electorate, reports in a pamphlet on his investigations in Spain. Much of his material deals with the Catholic Church’s role as a capitalist institution. A few extracts are: —“There are concerns similar to Woolworth’s in Spain. They call them El Sigla and El Aguila. They are very large concerns, each with 150 stores and with millions of capital. The greater amount of their stock was owned by the clergy.’ There was a cabaret in Saragossa. It was built at a cost of £500,000. It was called ‘Nuevo Mundo’ —the ‘New World.’ Tt, too, was owned by the clergy. The least, said about the cabaret the better. “They held a considerable amount of the stock of the underground, trams, buses, railroads and most of the worst slum property in Barcelona.” McGovern issues a challenge:—“l have been authorised, by the movement, in Catalonia to say that if Catholics in this country (Britain) doubt these statements, safe passage and conduct will be promised to any delegation or commission to Spain, however reactionary its members, whom British Catholics like to appoint.” O’DUFFY’S WITHDRAWAL. It then quotes from an account of the Blue Shirts’ adventures from the pen of Francis McCullagh, of the New York Times, a well-known admirer of the Fascists. Even he has to admit that “General Franco regarded the Irish not as a military force, but as a gesture from the English-speaking world and never asked them to take part in a serious attacks.” McCullagh also tells of their being I forced to witness some of the executions behind the lines'and being sickened by the sight. And he gives as some of the chief reasons for their 1 withdrawal the fact that they were 1 homesick and didn’t like the food, and j also that they objected to "sleeping I nightly in dead men’s beds in deserted j looted villages.” INDIAN CONFERENCE IN LONDON. London, June 6—An India conference was opened yesterday at 'Transport House, the headquarters ol the Labour Party, with G. R. Strauss, M.P. in the chair. Krishna Menon, representing the India Congress Party, declared that the Party’s immediate task was to create a powerful national front against Imperialism. Democratic India was demanding resistance to Imperialist war and. to any war in which British Imperial’sm was involved. FRENCH FASCISTS STH-- ARMS. Paris, June 15.—During a raid on the premises of a member of de la Rocque’s Croix de Feu, or Parti Social Francais as it. now calls itself, 1 the police found correspondence ’ showing that the man, Jouhanneau, ’ was apparently in a position to de- ' liver at once 22 tanks, 200,00 rifles, 5 20,000 machine guns and 12,000 1 I Maxim guns and 20 German chaser planes. Jouhanneau was in possession ■ of guarantees from an English bank 1 with a branch in Brussels and from a French bank. 1 3 ESPIONAGE IN THE BALKANS, i Four espionage trials have taken " i place during the past two months 3 in Pleven, Stara-Zazora, Burgas and ' Sofia. Five of the accused were senfenced to death on charges of the be--3 trayal of military secrets. All -five were executed. The Bulgarian press makes-much of this espionage activ- ' ity on behalf of foreign Powers, but s it avoids all mention of the fact that o similar trials of Bulgarian spies took

- place almost simultaneously in iui t key and Greece. n MISERIES OF FASCISM. 1 r Rome, June 15.—Big trials hav - taken place in Milan anci Trieste o - workers accused of self-mutilation. L - Trieste more than 100 workers wer s in the dock. The Fascist press no\ s announces that a similar trial is abou ? to take place in Livorno of 63 work ’ ers accused of self-inflicted wounds. 3 Self-mutilation is becoming a mas 3 phenomenon in Fascist Italy and af i fords the most damning commentar; j on the social conditions created b; t Fascism, when workers prefer t< ! mutilate themselves rather than re t main unemployed and receive no sup ? port. At least then they receivi • medical benefit. ) It is reported from Gaeta that i i ship with SOO Italians on board ha: t arrived here. The men were lande< ■ under armed guard and lodged in th< f military prison of the town. They an : charged with mutiny and refusal tc I fight.—Runa Press Service. . POLISH WORKERS PROTEST AGAINST POGROMS. Warsaw, June 12.—A delegate meeting of textile workers of Lodz has adopted a strongly-worded resolution against the recent anti-Semitic pogrom in Brest and shai’ply condemning the passivity of the authorities. The resolution declares that anti-Semitism is one of weapons ol international Fascism in its struggle against democracy. The workers of many factories through the country are carrying out collections on behalf of the victims of the Brest pogrom. The democratic newspapers have also opened subscription lists. PORTUGUESE SEND “DUD’ F SHELLS. LISBON, May 20.—Many foremen and workers of the shell fatcory in| Xabregas have been arrested on charges of sabotage. Consignments of dud shells have reached Franco from this factory as the contribution of the Portuguese' workers to the victory of the Spanish Republic. The arrested men have been mishandled by Fascist police officers. The factory has been closed down until a thoroughly reliable staff can be obtained. A company of Portugues sailors has refused to march to the tune of the Spanish Legion march. The men were sentenced to 20 days’ arrest. Demonstrations of sailors in sympathy with the arrested men have taken place. CATHOLIC PAPERS BANNED. Hitler’s attacks on the Roman Catholic Church are becoming more and more violent. Recently we read not only of the Pope being accused of lying, but also that “there was no crime from sexual murder to tneft

and forgery which Catholic priests or members of a Catholic Order nave not committed.” And now comes the news th*at the Catholic printing piant and publishing house at Essen has been closed down. Over 200 Church newspapers were printed there, and they have all been prohibited indefinitely. Yet these are people who, with the Moors, are supposed. to be “defending Christianity” in Spain.