The Star SATURDAY, JULY 29, 1922. A MENACE TO THE EMPIRE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 29 July 1922, Page 6

The Star

SATURDAY, JULY 29, 1922. A MENACE TO THE EMPIRE.

Delivered every evening by 6 o'clock in Hawera. Manaia, Norn.anby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna. Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyvilte, Patea, Waverley, Mokoia, Whakamara! Ohangai, Meremere, Frasei Road, and Ararata.

One of tne most serious dangers Lxi-catttiiing xhe Uritish. Empire is the oominumsD or -socialist Sunuay school, in auotner column wo reprint rrom the Christchurch Press an important articie from its London correspondent on the subject, and we do" not think that readers will fail to realise what a terrible menace to the Empire the Communist Sunday school is likely to become if the people as a whole do not strenuously' resist and suppress this insidious movement. The blasphemous nature of these Sunday schools will no doubt shock many people, but it should be remembered that in New.Zealand there are already at least three schools for training revolutionaries and efforts are being made to increase the number. One of these schools is located at Palmerston North, ancl, though some of the followers of the extreme Labour Party have denied that the teachings are of the vicious type reported from Great Britain and Australia, we have every reason to believe that the intention of the promoters is no better than that of the notorious Tom Anderson, the editor of the "Red Dawn," one of, tho most revolutionary prints in exist-

ence, who is the chief director of the

Communist Sunday schools in the Old •Country. There could he no worse menace to the Empire than a movement which has for its purpose the pouring of revolutionary ideas into the minds of children. With all the best efforts that have been made in New Zealand to bring up children to be respectful and to realise the importance of law and order and the great mission which the British Empire has to mankind, there are quite enough law-breakers and unruly people as it is, but what a terrible harvest will he reaped if the people of this country and of. the whole Empire allow the sowing of the poisonous seeds of revolution and anarchy to continue. The present session has occupied four weeks, three of which were given up to a debate which, with but few exceptions, gave members an opportunity of talking about nothing in particular and everything in general. Not a word of protest against the Communist Sunday schools did we notice in any of the speeches, and very little about our position in the British Empire or about the vital importance of the Empire to this tiny portion of it. Party wrangling and petty squabbles were to be found in plenty, but very little about really importaiiij matters and the things which connt. One can well understand the writer in the "Round Table" who said that members of the New Zealand Parliament "generally take the smallest possible interest in Imperial affairs and policy, while Ministers prefer to maintain a discreet silence instead oi

encouraging and guiding discussion. *It is seldom that an opportunity is taken to make a statement in the House upon external affairs, and any information given is usually dragged out by a question from a private member." Perhaps this criticism is rather too severe, but we must say that in our opinion our public men and our schools pay far too little attention to the history of the British Empire and the lives of the men who helped to raise it to greatness. Are we of this generation to permit ourselves to become so intoxicated with a false sense of the glorious freedom of speech and liberty of action won by our forefathers that we do nothing to combat an activity such as the Communist Sunday school movement, which is definitely organised, for the poisoning of the minds of the young—a movement which is not only designed to pave the way for revolution and anarchy, but which is also undermining the very basis of the Christian religion ? The Communist Sunday schools should and must be absolutely j prohibited and their promoters placed in | a position from which they can do.no | further harm* if the Empire is to be j saved from a menace that will \ ultimately destroy it if permitted to (grow without let or hindrance. Mr. iE. J. Howard. M.P., attempted in a letter to the Welington Post to defend the teachings of the Communist Sunday schools, in New Zealand, which had been attacked by another correspondent. Mr. Howard is not, of cdurse, the New Zealand Labour Party, bdt it is significant that the r'Maoriland Worker," the paper controlled by the Alliance of Labour, has giveii a great deal of space to certain articles written by one j Rod Ross, of Palmerston North, who I? apparently leader of the Socialist Sunday school* there. The ''Worker' consistently mocks .at religion. And .vet the ISfew Zealand Labour Party is uatteringly approaching the people to support them at the general elections his year in preference to the party i which was formerly led By one of the greatest Imperialists the Empire his ever produced, and In preference to the Government led by Mr. Massev, who is a devoted worker in the cause of Empire. We know that Mr. Dixon denounced the Socialist Sunday schools in his m*ider. sn^h i n the House last year Will he follow it un and move WWion fn- th- abolition and P-«h*itio n of these Communist Sunday' i schools? . • i