Named "Blacklegs" For Having Enlisted

Northern Advocate, 12 February 1940, Page 3

Named "Blacklegs" For Having Enlisted

C Special to “Northern Advocate”] AUCKLAND, This Day. An attempt by Communists and others to repeat their weekly meeting in Quay Street yesterday afternoon was stopped by opposition from about 100 soldiers and sailors. The only speaker who tried to address a crowd of about 3000 was overwhelmed in a rush, in which a, banner was torn to shreds. Had the meeting not been abandoned by the promoters, serious trouble might have occurred. Both soldiers and police suffered bruises in the rushes and struggles that prevented speeches. Pamphlet Resented. A good deal of the resentment of the soldiers was due to the circulation of a pamphlet criticising their attitude at a previous meeting and referring to soldiers, among other things, as “a blackleg element.” Shortly before the meeting was due to commence, soldiers appeared marching in threes. Their leader, a non-commission-ed officer, addressing the men, said: “You know what you’ve been called, and you know what to do.” He also added: “Do your best, and don’t use beer bottles or anything like that. Parade, dismiss!” 30 Constables Present. There were over 30 police constable in attendance, and a few minutes after the dismissal of the “parade,” police, soldiers and civilians clashed in a three-cornered fight. Under a big calico sign, “Defend your Democracy,, Right of Free Speech,” a man attempted to address the crowd. The struggle nearby halted, and there was a rush at the speaker. He went down under a bunch of struggling defenders and attackers, and his banner was torn to pieces. The leader of the soldiers was hoisted on to a drinking fountain. Cheers for Achilles. Amid cheers he called out: “We are going to carry on where the boys of 1914-18 left off. My dad fought then, and I’m proud of him.” At his call, cheers were given for the men of H.M.S. Achilles. “Give these people free speech,” he said. “Give them the same right to speak as we had to volunteer. “We have been called blacklegs because we volunteered. We can show our indifference to that. We can take it. But if anyone says anything against our King, our Flag or our country, we’ll deal with them.”

These words were received with cheers and singing from the soldiers. Civilian Arrested. Those who had intended to speak made no move to do so, and it latfer became obvious to soldiers and sailors that no one was prepared''to take advantage of the opportunity for “free speech.” The only arrest was that of a civilian on a charge of assaulting an unknown person. There were large police reserves assembled close by in case of trouble.