The Star. Delivered every evening by 5 o'clock in Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, Waverley, Mokoia, Whakamara, Ohangai, Meremere, Fraser Road, and Ararata. SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 1923. THE RUSSIAN FAMINE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 6 January 1923, Page 6

The Star. Delivered every evening by 5 o'clock in Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, Waverley, Mokoia, Whakamara, Ohangai, Meremere, Fraser Road, and Ararata. SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 1923. THE RUSSIAN FAMINE.

Dr. Nansen's report, cabled a few days ago, that eight million people in Eus sia will be famine-stricken and in need of assistance from outside. nations dur ing the-winter, which has already be gun in the Northern Hemisphere, mdi cates that the economic state of thai country is shocking. Each winter since the Lenin-Trotsky regime began has fqund millions of Russians in a terribh plight. At first the apologists foi Lenin denied the accuracy of the re ports, but, as time passed and the famine appeared in successive winters they I sought other excuses—the so called blockade was blamed, and thei; there was the great drought. It wil be interesting to learn what the excuse will be on this occasion, for the othei nations have sent 'many thousands of .tons of foodstuffs and clothing to Russia during the last eighteen months and Lenin has made his "economic retreat." Still there are eight million people in Russia in need of urgent assistance! The position to-day was anticipated long ago by economists,'whe saw the folly of extreme Socialism and the application of the doctrines expressed in that mysterious phrase <' dictatcrshipSf the proletariat." In Russia Lenin and his associates have applied the doctrines of Communism or extreme Socialism, and have been most successful in completely ruining the country and causing the deaths of millions of ' their unhappy <■ icitims. We know of no parallel:in history to the terrible results following upon" the application of "idealistic" Socialist theories. Mr Peter Eraser said some time ago that Lenin was the world's greatest statesman, and the New Zealand Labour Party's daily paper in Greymouth once referred -to Russia as the "ideal popular State." We think that most of us would much prefer to live in New Zealand or in any othei; part of the British Empire The programme which Lenin has followed has been that of socialising everything, and we have yet to learn tiiat there is any difference between Lenin's objective and that of the New' Zealand Labour Party—"the socialisation.of the means of production, distribution and exchange." The factories, the land, and all industry were nationalised by Lenin and those who assisted him, so that there should be "production for use and not 'for profit." Where are the wonderful results that were promised? After five years of "ideal government" there are eight million Russians who arc famine stricken. It is an awful condition of affairs and can hardly be regarded as an improvement of the position of a year ago, when the number of famine stricken people in Russia was estimated at between ten and twenty millions. Was there ever clearer proof of failure than the state of. Russia during, the last few years? In spite of the facts and the official reports which have been ma^e. by Dr. Nansen, who is working under instructions from the League of Na-? tions, we find that there are people" in this Dominion ready to vote for men who are pledged to the objective which has ruined, Russia. All the seventeen extreme Labour men who topped the poll at the recent elections in their re-

spective electorates are pledged to the ; platform and objective of the New Zea- j land Labour Party, and as far as we can : gather that objective is the same as i Lenin has applied to Russia. If the objectives are the same, it seems to us reasonable to expect that the results of the application of the theories would be the same. Some 150,000 votes were east at the recent elections for men pledged to the "socialisation of the means of production, distribution, and exchange." We are sure that the great majority of those who voted for extreme Labour candidates did not realise what they were doing. Worse still, we doubt whether the majority of those who are opposed to the New Zealand Labour Party realise the danger as they should. The extremists have promised that they will set about a vigorous ( campaign and circulate large quantities of propaganda in preparation for the next election. What are the anti-Labour forces going to do? Are they going to divide upon questions of comparatively minor import-, ' ance and leave the extremists a clear field for their operations? We do not think that the extreme Labour Party, with its ruinous objective, will gain an absolute majority vote over -the other parties, but if the extremists are not resisted strongly they will undoubtedly cause much trouble and anxiety to the country. ' Surely it is not difficult to see that a strong and stable Government, representing the majority of the people, is a prime necessity during the next few, years. Strong Government is always desirable, but it is especially required al the present time, and we hope that it will be secured in both Australia anr! New Zealand by an arrangement be tween the anti-Labour parties.