Holland Urges Move To Ban Communists

Northern Advocate, 16 March 1948, Page 4

Holland Urges Move To Ban Communists

WELLINGTON, Tue. (Sp.).—When he addressed a meeting of Wellington businessmen yesterday the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Holland) advocated: 0 The immediate calling together of Parliament to pass a law providing that persons guilty of subversive activities or owing allegiance to a foreign power should be ineligible for employment in any branch of the public services of New Zealand or in the management of its industrial life.

“The matter is one of desperate urgency,” said Mr Holland. "I believe in democracy and in the right of people to subscribe to any political philosophy they choose, but I do not subscribe to the idea that fifth columnists have the right to organise Ihe overthrow of our democratic way of life.”

The new order which people had hoped for during the war was still an unrealised dream, said Mr Holland.

Instead Of being busy with the tasks of reconstruction the world was torn asunder, and there was even fear of another world conflagration.

slowly filched from the engineers in charge. SUBVERSIVE The only reason why the Communists sought power was to impose the Soviet system and destroy the New Zealand way of life, said Mr Holland. They were using industrial unionism to achieve their ends. “Communism is a subversive organisation,” Mr Holland continued. “It is anti-British and it is antiChristian. “In my opinion we should pass a law declaring such subversive activities unlawful. Until we do that, this poisonous propaganda will continue. “We cannot sit quietly by and read vAiat is happening in other countries.

To ignore the signs of the times would be less than their duty. UNO FAILURE

■Unfortunately the United Nations | Organisation, established to maintain peace and promote human welfare, appeared powerless to perform its proper function and arrest the pattern of j events which had shocked the world, \ in Czechoslovakia, Poland, Bulgaria, Rumania, Hungary and other countries.

“These things can and will happen here unless we take the precautions that will prevent them.”

Mr Holland also made reference to defence matters. “Notwithstanding the dangers that face us, we do not appear to have any defence policy,” he said. DEFENCE INADEQUATE “We have allowed our defence system to fade away. Our training stall's are being reduced to very small numbers. “These questions transcend all considerations of party politics. “In my opinion, we should immediately set about the task of determine ing an adequate defence policy so that we in New Zealand will have done everything that lies in our power to ensure the peace of the world by equipping ourselves in readiness to defend our country.” Ref-oilers' ASorm NEW PLYMOUTH, Tue. (P.A.).— Concern at the alarming spread of Communistic propaganda and the growth of Communism in New Zealand was expressed by the New Zealand Retailers’ Federation at its annual conference at New Plymouth yesterday. A resolution was carried unanimously that the Government be urged to ascertain the number of Communists holding senior positions in the civil service.

The cause of its failure was the fundamental weakness in its constitution which enabled any one of the five major nations to veto the decisions of all the other nations constituting the Security Council. Of the 24 principal occasions on which the veto had been used, it had been used 23 times by Russia.

The question that arose, said Mr Holland, was “Why did Russia employ the veto?”

The unpalatable answer , was that J Russia was out for world domination j and sought to impose her Soviet form i of totalitarianism on the whole world, [ including the British Empire j In France, Russia sought to establish her system Dy causing chaos and dis- ) order in French factories; in Italy,! there was a danger of civil war; Fin- | land and Persia were under great J pressure from Russia; Greece was torn J asunder by civil war promoted from I outside her borders; Palestine was fac- j ing civil war, with the United Nations i unwilling, unready or unable to enforce its decisions; half of China and j half of Korea were under Communist. control. 1 BRITISH - U.S. BOND j The one bright spot was the bond of friendship and understanding oe- i tween the British Empire and the mighty United States of America, plus the happy conclusion of agreements j with France and the Benelux coun- j tries. ] Turning to New Zealand, Mr Hoi- i land said the same technique, of stir- j ring up industrial strife was being ; employed in other countries was being ] use* here.

A copy of the resolution was telegraphed to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Industries and Commerce.

He referred to the comments of Mr G. Albright, secretary of the Auckland Electrical Workers’ Union, who, speaking as a delegate to the Auckland Trades Council, had said its support of the carpenters’ go-slow move-/ ment had been given because many of Ihe delegates were either Communists or had Communist leanings and always voted on the instructions of the party.

At the important Mangakino hydro works, where 900 workers were idle, trouble bad arisen because the local secretary of the' Workers’ Union, a Communist, had been transferred elsewhere.

The engineers on the job had been forced to say that either this man went) or they went. They felt they could not work with the disruptive elements which had been persisting among the men and that control of the work was being