COMMUNISM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19271, 8 September 1924, Page 8

COMMUNISM.

A FRENZIED APPEAL. OVERTHROW OF CAPITAL--ISTS. ESTABLISHMENT OF DICTATORSHIP. (From Our Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, September 6. Communistic; effusions appealing to hate, envy, and ignorance are being circulated among the workers of Auckland. They bear the imprint of a proletarian press and the authority of the Communist Party of New Zealand, Auckland. The two pamphlets which have come under the notice of the New Zealand Herald are cheap stuff that recalls the jargon of soapbox orators, and obviously the work of a crude mind dominated by one idea, but in certain directions the matter is of such a nature as to demand an immediate investigation by the Crown Law Office. “What is this communist party and its function in society?” So runs the headings of one of the pamphlets. “The Communist Party,” it begins, “is the organisation of the vanguard of the class-conscious workers. Its purpose is to educate and organise the workers for the overthrow of the capitalistic state, the establishment of the dictatorship of the proletariat, the abolition of the capitalist system, and the development of a communist society.” Membership, it is explained, is open to nil who accept the principles of the Third Communist International. The author has made no doubt of his emphasis. He has used his capitals liberally, and the use of bold typo is his idea of driving home an argument, or rather an assertion. From the typographical appearance of the pamphlet it is almost possible to picture a tub thumper at work. “The communist party,” we are informed, “is fighting for the organisation of those who have no land, no property, and no means of getting a living, but by the sale of their ability to work.” These are to be “emancipated from exploitation, poverty, and class oppression.” “It is idle to talk of the freedom of having votes,” runs the pamphlet.’ “How does the capitalist class hold its power? By the army, navy, and police. Who are the army, navy, and police but the deluded members of the working class.” This reference may be submitted to the police for their consideration. An appeal is made to class conscious workers to form groups in unions and “strongly advocate the centralisation of unionism as a remedy against the disrupters.” “Can the Labour Party do it?” proceeds the writer. “ Not while it aims at simply running Parliament in the same old way as any political party of the capitalist class and giving us a few parliamentary reforms that is only patching the present rotten system.” The term “rotten system” was found to come because it ignores “the power of life and death held by the capitalist class over the working class. Apparently the communists have stalwart brothers in India, China, and Japan who are going to help to usher in the new day. Militant workers are urged to join up. If there is no party in their locality their duty is to get in touch with ■ the rebel (printed in capitals) element and form a group. % The peroration is loud and black. “ Prepare yourself to abolish wage slavery. Long live the workers’ replublic of Soviet Russia. Long live the Third Communist International. Long live the world revolution. All power to the workers.” There is something amusing and something pathetic about these outpourings of frenzied minds, but there is poison in them, the most serious feature being pas--sages calculated to undermine the loyalty of soldiers, sailors, and the police, and to inspire hatred for the forces of defence and law. Communism hateb physical force, and also worships it, and for that reason pamphlets of this nature might easily lead to crimes of violence on the Dart of ill-balanced individuals.