THE NEW GUARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21521, 18 December 1931, Page 9

THE NEW GUARD

NOT A POLITICAL BODY DEFINITELY AGAINST MR LANG. I ,> ' SYDNEY, December 17. Colonel Campbell said the New Guard was not a political body. They were not against the Labour Party, but were definitely against Mr Lang. But for the existence of the New Guard the Communists would have been enabled to perfect their plans for complete Sovietisation of the State without fear of interruption. The only way to deal with the menace was by plain moral and physical aggression. Certain politicians had pledged themselves to deport all the leading Communists, but if these promises were not carried out immediately Parliament assembled the New Guard, within the period of its five months’ plan, wouh? do the job without the' aid of Parliament. Colonel Campbell denied that the New Guard was out to break trade unionism. Eighty per cent, of its members were trade unionists. MEMBERS ARRESTED. SYDNEY, December 17. (Received Dec. 17, at 9 p.m.) New interest has been imparted into the New Guard’s activities by the attention given to it by the police under special instructions, the authority for which is not disclosed. While Colonel Campbell was speaking at the Town Hall last night members of the Guard in various suburbs were engaged in affixing posters which exhorted voters to beware of Communists. Police patrols arrested 50 of them and took the names of others. The complaint is made that while the police harass the New Guard in /this manner other persons are permitted to affix Communistic placards of an objectionable character without hindrance. In one or two cases the Guards have found men tearing down United Party posters and had chased, caught and soundly thrashed them.