Communist Activity

Northern Advocate, 30 January 1939, Page 6

Communist Activity

SEVERAL happenings lately have focussed attention on the worldwide activities of the Communist organisation. In England, Sir Stafford Cripps has been expelled from the Labour Party for continuing to advocate a “Popular Front,” in which Communists, pledged to the overthrow of existing political systems by force if the opportunity should arise, would fight side by side with the Labour Party. 1 In Canada there has been an outcry because Communists who went to Spain to fight in the International Brigade have been allowed to return to Canada. In New Zealand, too, the Communists have been active on behalf of the Spanish Loyalists, and two nurses who returned recently from Barcelona were met at the wharves by a number of Communists, These people, it is obvious, are less interested in the welfare of Spain than in the propaganda of those doctrines of internationalism which are a negation of the patriotic instinct of the average man. , The importance of Communists in New Zealand Labour organisations may easily be exaggerated, for they have never done well in crucial test of a political campaign, invariably losing their deposits. Nevertheless, they contrive to exert an influence out of all proportion to their numbers, and although the Labour Party officially disavows them, and in theory has nothing whatever to do with them, there is actually some degree of overlapping, and prominent Communists are even active in the higher councils of the Federation of Labour. In these circumstances it is not unlikely that the forthcoming Easter Conference of the Labour Party will again see the “Popular Front” issue raised, and the fact that there are different shades of political opinion within the Cabinet may sharpen the debate. So far, however, the Government has got on very well without the dubious aid of its Communist sympathisers, and Labour Party branches throughout the country would be well advised to instruct their delegates to repudiate any further advances from that quarter.