SUPPRESSION OF OPINION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20288, 22 December 1927, Page 5

SUPPRESSION OF OPINION.

RUSSIA’S METHODS WITH TOURISTS. Speculation (says the Riga correspondent of The Times) continues amongst Communists in Moscow oh the impression they gave to the unofficial delegation ox American trade unionists which recently visited Soviet Russia. Discussion centres in a long interview the visitors had with the “ Dictator ” Stalin. The Americans submitted to Stalin 12 questions, the most awkward of which, perhaps, was why only one party was allowed to 'exist in the U.S.S.R., and how, notwithstanding that, Communists could know that the masses sympathised with Communism. Stalin replied that the people expressed their confidence in the Communist Party 10 years ago, when they helped to seize power, and that the masses supported the Communist Party during the civil war and now elected - Communists to Soviet and trade union offices. Stalin ■was asked whether differences of opinion existed among the workmen and peasants and whether loyal Soviet citizens enjoyed opportunities to organise or express opinions such as they would enjoy if the Communist Party did not have a “ monopoly of legality.” He admitted the existence of differences, but declared that the workmen and peasants agreed with the Communist Party in all essential matters; therefore, any reason to legalise ether parties did not exist. The dclega tion asked whether any local non-Gom-munist group might be allowed openly to advocate for instance, the abolition of the State monopoly of foreign trade. Stalin replied that loyal citizens must necessarily support this monopoly, as only nepmen (private traders) and' counterrevolutionaries could desire its abolition. Stalin burked the question of what differences of opinion existed between himKeif and Trotsky by referring his questioners to the speeches of Bukharin and Rykoff. When the Americans requested a'copy of “the platform of the 83”— the programme which Trotskv and the opposition presented to the Central Committee of the Communist Party, and which nearly resulted in his compulsion—- ' Valin flatly refused to supply them with one.

What makes and unmakes fashions in Christian names? How completely the name Emma has gone out. Perhaps the popular song of “ Whoa, Emma.” sung and whistled everywhere about AO years ago, had something to do with this, just as Jemima ” was killed when elasticfiided boots were nicknamed Jemimas I u rcv is a name seldom given to boys nowadays: is it because seaside niggers always 'address one another a s Percy? And" Cuthbert? Since this was used as e taunt to fling at young men who got off going to Um war, has it been shunned by fltirntel