THE RUSH TO BE "GOOD”

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 23, 26 December 1925, Page 2

THE RUSH TO BE "GOOD”

GETTING RID OF THE COMMUNISTS (Contributed by N.Z. Welfare League.) There is an element of humour in the talk emanating from the Political Labour Parties that they must got rici of the Communists. But a short time ago the leaders of these parties spoke in quite other terms. According to them there were no Communists to bo quit of. The assertions that Communists existed was mere wicked propaganda of the “Capitalist Press’' or vile slander circulated by organisations such as the N.Z. Welfare League and the Australian National Publicity Bureau. The Communist was a mere bogey designed to frighten the simple minded electors, etc. Such was the defence of the parties of Socialism. They might seek revolution but it was to bo altogether peaceful and constitutional. Communists were not in their party and if a few were there they did not really count. A change has come over the spirit of their dream. Now the public are informed that the Communists are to be “excluded.” There is even talk of expelling them, which is different from more exclusion. In Australia Mr Lang, Premier of New South Wales, has mado a remarkablo discovery. Speaking of the Sydney Trades and Labour Council, which is attached to his party, ho says: “The council employs a secretary who is an avowed Communist, and who is obviously using his position to promote the interests of tho Communist Party.” This is rather lato news. It is well known that eleven out of twelve on the executive on that council are Communists. However, it is a sign of grace to find tho Labour Party leaders recognising that tho Communists are inside their party, and it is not a question of excluding, but there must be expulsion as well. The elections have promoted a chango of heart, or at least the appearance of it. Political Labour Parties broadcast tho news that they aro going to bo “good” and have done with the Bed debauch from now on. Wo have heard of one or two small party branches in New Zealand that have expelled Communists. The experiment has so far been on such a small scale that few people know of it. In Australia what is planned is on a very much larger scale, but as yet tho parties there have not got beyond tho talking stage, and there is likely to be a great deal said before any action is taken. BED TRADES HALLS. In New South Wales tho Reds aro well entrenched in the Sydney Trades and Labour Council. Its executive is Communist and its influence is considerable. There are 70 unions attached to the council, so it practically controls the industrial movement. The political bosses say tho unions must chooso between belonging to the Communist Trades Council or their party. At present the unions aro in both, and as they in the main make both tho council and tho party, there is likely to bo a good deal of hot talk before they will be persuaded to leave either one or tho other. If “the way of tho transgressor is hard” so also is that of the would-be politically virtuous. Wo can see a merry time beforo the parties when they start tho expelling business in earnest, if they ever do. In New Zealand we appear to have a Red Trades Hall in Christchurch. The Council there is fond of flying, the Red flag. Of course it may be nothing moro than tho local temperament in evidence, as Christchurch people are reputed to love a sensation. This is the problem in front of tho Labour Parties, that they admit industrial unions and councils into membership of their party. These unions and councils cannot excludo Communists, who are also trade unionists, so tho parties cannot expell Communists except by fighting the unions. That is a course of action which tho politicians will shy off, although they may talk in such directions in order to impress tho public with their good intentions. RED WITHOUT “REDS.” Were those parties to exclude and expel all avowed Communists —what then ? Would it prove that the parties were wholly freo from Comunist influence? In'our opinion the real Red menace does not consist in the fact of there being some Communists in the political Labour Parties, but rather that these parties aro saturated with revolutionary class war ideas which lead inevitably in the direction the Communists wish to go . Tho Socialist Eoliticians may avow that, they will ave nothing to do with tho Communist methods of insurrection.

That is all right as speech. At the same time it is very notable how readily these politicians fall into the evil practices of insurrection when they are clothed in phrases such as “industrial unity,” “working class solidarity,” etc. Then “councils of action” and revolutionary programmes aro adopted which aro not distinguishable from Communism. To get rid of the Red Communists is of little moment if the principles of Socialist Revolutionism aro retained. The parties may still bo red without the Reds (Communists). AVill tho parties change their policies is the real question of importance ? /