CORRESPONDENCE. BOLSHEVISM AND THE W.E.A.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 16 September 1925, Page 11

CORRESPONDENCE.

BOLSHEVISM AND THE W.E.A.

(To the Editor.) Sir.—The facility with which some public) men are able to discover mares nests in the JY'.IS.A. movement is a constant source of admiration and delight to members of the W.E.A., especially to tutors of its classes ; ol admiration because their own genius is insufficient to discover the terrible conditions so -apparent to others, vnci of deiight 'becaus'e members of W.E.A. classes are ' generally blessed with enough sense or humour to enable them to appreciate the 'spectacle of staid, responsible people making themselves appear ridiculous. When at Saturday’s meeting of the E'ltham .County Council Or. -Miassana announced his amazing aiid (highly Original discovery that the W.E.A, is now an established part of sia,” he was only repeating a new form of criticism that has been periodically trotted out, and as frequently rebutted ever since the movement was founded. That C-r. Messana was ignorant' of this fact only added to the humour of the situation, for it enabled him to throw liis lump of halfbaked brick at the W.E.A. with all the solemnity of one who is announcing a new and portentous discrivfi'ry of his very own. Despite the fact that Hi VViE.A. is Q-w an established part of the educational system of this and other 'countries, t-hfe're periodically appear critics' -who, speaking out of -a sublime ignorance of the inner workings of the W-H.A. movement, profess to see in its classes a training ground tor Bolsheviks. The source of Or. Messana's inspiration hais apparently been some recent -statements made by a professor Scott,' in which “wordy were hurled directly against the British. flag.’’ Who this obscure professor is, who has been hurling words about in this reckless fashion, X am afraid .1 cannot say, and- -ivo-uld appreciate Or. Messana-’s enlightment on flic matter. I shall, however, -be -surprised to learn that he is in any way associated with the W.E.A. movement, either in New Zealand or in Gtoarfc Britain. To deduce from' his fenia’rks, therefore, the. discove'iy that -the W.E.A. was “bred in Russia,” is a feat of logic of which only Or. Messana would be 'capable. It- may be news to Or. Messana and others to le-arii that the W.E.A. is an educational' movefile) it pure aud simple, K is strictly non-political. Its classes comprise people of all shades of political opinion. Its tutors probably also include adherents 1 of all parties and no parties'. The wide range, of subjects covered by its -syllabus should be sufficient to dispel any notion that its aim is a narrow propagandist one. If there was tKp slightest iribdicuiri of truth in Or. Messana’is statement that the movement) wa6 “fifed in Russia” it certainly would riot -receive the support of many who- to-day are' its keenest sponsors. (Columns of facts could be quoted to prove that the movement is in no sense aßolshevistic outgrowth. I cite just a few facts : (1) Sir James Parr in the first issue of the, New Zealand Highway (the official' organ of the W.E.A.), whirl just been issued says:—-“.I regard the worker,s’ Educational Association movement as of great educational value. There is no part of our educational activities which 1 am more pleased' to recommend) to Cabinet foi Government support than the Workers Educational movement.’.’

(2) The movement originated in England some 22 years ago under the aegis of Oxford University—recognised as. ©ne, of the most conservative universities in the world.

(3) The leading supporters of the British W.EI.A. include men like William Temple, Bishop of Manchester, for many years until 1924 its National President.

(4) The movement was introduced into New Zealand by Professor Meredith, Atkinson, of Sydney, whose antipathy to Bolshevism >nd things Russian is so well known.

(5) The Dominion president for some years has been Mr. H. D. Alcland, the well-known Ghrsbckurch solicitor, chairman of the. Canterbury College Board of Governors, who was also tor many years, and 1 think still is, president of the Reform Party for Canterbury (1 mention this fact for the special comfort of Or, Messana-, who- is doubtless a Reformer himself).

(6) Critics of the W.E.A. have invariably been found only among those wtlib have taken no part whatever in it& activities. All who liajvc any iriftide knowledge of the movement, from Sir James Harr arid Mr. Aieland to the casual atterider of W.EI.A, public lectures, are i,satisfied that the movement is what it claims to be—a n educational movement without political, significance. With reference to the class which has been using the Eiltham County Council’s room during this year i would like to state that the class has been one in psychology. It is a, novel experience tb find county councillors expressing alarm lest such classes might have some sinister significance of Russian origin. The subject matter of the lectures has been about as remote from Bolshevism ais it well could be, and in fact included' nothing that would not figure in any university course on the subject •arid? wbiild be required of any teabher who desired to reach a modest level of a'cadeririri attainment. So far as X personally ariii concerned, I would welcome the fullest enquiry into the manner in which I have carried out my duties as W.E. A. lecturer, and can confidently claim that I have done everything possible to maintain the strictly non-partisan character of W:E:A. activities. Those responsible for the control of W.E. A. classes in New' Zealand' have wisely proceeded upon the principle of allowing the fullest liberty of individual opinion to the tutors of its classes and have only required that no tutor shall take advantage of his position to. disseminate Iris own private opinions to the axelusion of opposing views. If it docs happen that there are tutors here arid thCre whose views differ in some detail tronii those of Or. Messaria (and I assume that Or. Messaria would attribute to Tunisia all opinions that did nof coincide with his own cherished notion* at every point) this can in rib way detract from the value of W-E-A- classes, but must 'rather enhance it. It is surely 1 in diversity of opinion that Hr hope'of progress lies rather than in that uniformity of thought which some critics of the W.E.A. seem to desire: 'The W.EI.A. movement ha's fiurvived the attacks of many ill-informed critics in the past, and is doubtless 1 destined in the future to he tilted at by as many more : but that future eritoism will recoil upon the heads of the critics as invariably as in the pact is to be confidently aritioinated. In the meantime, until, the gradual «spread of education has raised somewhat the level of public discussion’ and freed some of our unfortunate public men from the obsession of “Russian plotfi,” it is per-

haps too much, to expect that these nfeu should, before criticising «u'ch organisations ais the W.E.A.make some attempt to find out what they are talking about, —1. am etc., W. A. S'HiEiAT, Tutor-Oiiganiser 'W.E.A.. Taranaki District. Ilia worn, Sep. l.i,