“SKULKING INCITERS”

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 4 May 1934, Page 5

“SKULKING INCITERS”

SEDUCING BRITISH TROOP'S. LONDON, April 21. That 100,000 seditious" pamphlets had been circulated among members of His Majesty’s forces in the past two years ' was revealed in the House oi Commons on the introduction of thy short bill to prevent and punish endeavours to seduce members of the forces front duty and allegiance. The Attorney-General, Sir Thomas Inskip, said it was in no way “panic legislation. ’’ The Bill, he explained, concerned solely endeavours to seduce members of the forces, and was aimed at the skulking inciters who put no names or addresses to the pamphlets they circularised in the Army and Navy, appealing to them “to use their knowledge of arms and join the mass struggle to overthrow capitalism; or, if war came, to turn it into civil war against the capitalist warmongers.” The distributors of these things could now only be sentenced to life imprisonment. The Bill provided for swifter and easier punishment. In moving the rejection of the Bill Mr. J. J. Lawson (Labour) said the Bill was a sweeping attack on the jealously guarded liberties of the people. It was a tremendous and dangerous step to make it a penal offence to have possession of documents which any magistrate might think likely to seduce a soldier or sailor. Certain League of Nations and pacifist or socialistic literature might be so interpreted, and anybody’s house searched for them.

In reply, Sir D B. Somervell, K.C., Solicitor-General, said the Bill only provided more effective machinery to deal with the loathsome, contemptible crime of attempting to seduce the troops. Though wide powers were taken, there was not the slightest danger of innocent people being affected by the Bill.

By 277 votes to 03 the Bill passed its second reading.