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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 8 June 1909, Page 1

10 THE EDITOR. Sir,— Having just returned to Nelson after an absence of some weeks, 1 have been much interested and highly amused to discover how far this discussion has departed from its starting point. Originally a discussion of the rights and wrongs of the Dreadnought presentation, G. has ingeniously turned it, for his own purposes, into one on, the ques tion, to quote his own words, of "Socialism versus the Nelson brand thereof." Now, Robert Blatchford and H. N. Ilyndman are good Socialists, and have done good work, but G. must be very ignorant both of Socialism and th<! writings of these gentlement other than the "Times' " extracts therefrom, to suppose that either they, or any other man or men, can speak for the movement. Only the Socialist Congress, national or international, can do this, and they have invariably declared against war and in favour of disarmament. Apart from the fact, patent to all who read their writings, that R.B. and H.N.H. Argus from premises and reach conclusions entirely different from "G.s," Blatchford acknowledges that he is singular in his views on the present scira ,and even opposed to the general altitude of the Socialist movement, fn the "Clarion" of April 2nd he says : "I know that I shall meet with hostility from my own party. I knowthat I shall be called ..... perhaps a traitor." It is thus evident that we Nelson Socialists are not peculiar or ; narrow ir. ouv views, though I do not expect G. to apologise.. Our nttii&de in the main is that of the National Party. At a meeting of the National , Executive of the N.Z. Socialist party held at Palmerston on Sunday, May 23, the following resolution was passed and handed to th-> press as embodying the opinions of New Zealand Socialists : — "That war and war preparations are the direct outcome of the capitalist system of society, and will cease only with its downfall; that the interests of the vnrkevs of sill countries are identical — they have no quarrel with each other; that we, therefore: the N.Z. Socialist Party, oppose undeservedly all forms of

militarism, and declare our coir-.ciri tliat the only hope of ir.tcrii.-.tiuii.-i peace rests in the growing scdidar.ty <■ the workers of the world.'' I, urn, etc., AUTHUH WHITAKEK. Nelson Socialist Party. Tune 7, 1909.