POLITICAL UNDERTAKINGS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18513, 25 March 1922, Page 6

POLITICAL UNDERTAKINGS

LIBERALS AND THE “REDS.” MR HOLLAND AS DICTATOR. (Communicated by the N.Z. Welfare League.) Rumours are current in several quarter* that there is likely to be an understanding effected between Mr Wilford’s party and Mr Holland's lor the coming General Election. The secretary of the Holland Party (Mr Moees Ayrton), speaking at Invercargill, said that feelers had been put out in the direction of an understanding between these parties. He did not say whether the feelers were from his party’s side or the other. Of course, rumour is reputedly “a lying jade,’ and Air Aloses Ayrton may nave dreamt a dream. After the insulting references that have from tune to time been levelled at Mr Wilford’s party by the Hollandses, it is inconceivable how there could bo any understanding unless in the way of solid distrust on the Liberal side. That, the Reds and Labour are one and the same is a comfortable illusion of the adherents of Air Holland, but, all the same, it is far from being a fact. Much of the support given to this Red political party is from people who are neither trade unionists or Labourites, but are designing persons with the ulterior motive in their beads of wishing, to overturn the British Empire and create some new state of affair of their own imagining. Of with an election looming ahead, the Red Party spokesmen are generally on their good behaviour. “Talk moderate” is the card they are playing at the present time. They are saying very little these days of their objective — “the socialisation of the means of production. distribution, and exchange.’’ Any suggestion of strikes, go-slow, or industrial stoppages of any kind are being frowned upon as bad tactics. Their policy now is to pose as advanced Liberals. Aleantime, the men are secretly encouraging the formation of an industrial fighting force of the very largest numbers which shall be ready when the signal for revolt is given. The people of New Zealand must be blind indeed if they fail to recognise that the Reds’ objective of socialistic revolution is ever lost sight of by them. The art of deception was never carried to greater length than it is being practised to-day by the_ believers in socialist revolutionism. That is the art being used. by the Reds in New Zealand. Still, the ambition to demand and rule is hard to keep out of sight by a man with the instinct for even if he would name it “the dictatorship of the proletariat’’ Addressing his constituents in the Town Hall of Westport very recently, Mr H. B. Holland, M.P., said “the Liberals could never take office without Labour’s consent, and in the event_ of Labour holding \the balance of power in a threeparty Parliament they could only retain office while they obeyed the Labour Party. Labour would vote Mr Massey out at the first opportunity; but if Mr Wilford came in Labour would also vote him out on the first occasion tha£ he refused Labour’s demands.” There stands the Bed dictator. No question of give-and-take about that party. By the term “Labour.” we must remember. is not here meant the working population of this dominion, but simply the people who endorse' Air Holland’s socialist creed and ambitions. What we are told is that if the Red Party only constitutes onethird of Parliament it will insist on getting all it demands. The people _of New Zealand should take note of. this threat, and Labour (real labour) should _ v6te out a partv that hypocritically says it wants proportional representation when its real purpose is the anti-Labour one of dictatorship. We do not believe that Mr Wilford’s early will in any way ally itself with the Reds. There is nothing in common between the principles of Liberalism or Reform, which recognises the unity of the State and the interdependence of all classes within the State, and those of a party that aims at creating the domination of one class over all others. Should either the Refot m Party or the Liberal be so uhmindful of the national interest as to have any understanding with a party that is out for revolution, the time will have come for either so transgressing to be wiped out of existence. _ To fight the forces of revolutionary disruption is more than a duty to ourselves ; it_ is opr obligation to the Empire, which is being attacked on all sides, and the loss will be that of humanity if we fail.