COMMUNISTS IN BRITAIN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18954, 30 August 1923, Page 9

COMMUNISTS IN BRITAIN.

RUSSIAN SUBSIDY. THE “ CLASS-CONSCIOUS WAR.” Mr Havelock Wilson (secretary of ike NaK, tional Sailors' and Firemen’s Union of Great Britain) has written a letter to Mr George Waite (assistant secretary of ike United. Labourers’ Union), in which he deals with Communistic activities in Great Britain, subsidised from Russia. “The position is very difficult,” writes Mr Wileon. “The Socialists and Communists are mixed up with the Germans. There has recently been a conference in Hamburg; they called it the ‘two and,a- , half’ International, as opposed to Lenin’s. ‘third.’ Amongst the resolutions adopted and voted for by the British delegates was ‘class-conscious war’ and the destruction, of ~ the capitalist system. I have had a talk, with some of the union leaders identified with, the ‘two and u-half’ International, and asked what they meant by ‘class-conscious war’ and the destruction of the capitalist system, and their reply was that it was only ‘eyewash,’ as it was impossible to carry such resolutions into effect, but considered the right propaganda. It is really difficult to know who does not get paid from Moscow. They appear to have a system of selecting certain men as paid agents to deliver redhot stuff, checked by a system of espionage as to results. The Communists dealing with the out-of-works—and males them as. red as they can. Copies are then sent on to Moscow, and, if up to the taste of the Leniu-Trotsky brigade, they get a subsidy. This is having a bad effect in : the union movement, as the workers gener- i‘ ally are against this propaganda of stirring up strife between employers and workers, and the Seamen’s Union is somewhat isolated • by standing for a better understanding, be- > lieving wo both have a common interest. The ‘Reds’ attempt to justify their wild theories by saying: ‘We have got to do some- !>' thing to stir up the workers’ imagination.’/'«i :