DICTATORSHIPS CONDEMNED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22098, 31 October 1933, Page 11

DICTATORSHIPS CONDEMNED

T.U.C. RESOLUTION MR CITRINE’S SPEECH. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, September 13. The Trade Union Congress meeting at Brighton carried unanimously a lengthy resolution expressing the strongest condemnation of the Nazi regime in Germany and denouncing the policy of repression and cruelty which has destroyed political and civil liberty.” The resolution finally instructed the General Council to take any necessary steps to prevent such a possibility in this country. Throughput the intermediate speeches on this general issue no reference was made to the Socialist League or the dictator theories of certain intellectual Socialists. That internal phase will be discussed by the Socialist Party conference at Hastings next month, when Sir Stafford Cripps and others may be present, Mr Citrine’s speech embraced his knowledge as chairman of the International Federation of Trade Unions. It was variously described by subsequent speakers as historic in its importance, and as the most dangerous ever delivered to congress —dangerous because lie criticised the dictatorship of the proletariat, a phrase much loved by Communists.

. “ Every support you give to dictatorship of whatever kind,” said Mr Citrine, “ every time you do it you weaken your own people and their belief in the institutions to which you have subscribed. “The Brjtish trade union movement would not have been possible had it not been for the right of freedom to combine.”

Then he warned the congress that if they went in for methods of force they would be badly beaten. This speech was marked at its close by the most sustained applause. The president, congratulating Mr Citrine, expressed the belief that his oration would become historic.

Then followed a series of speeches from Communist sympathisers, who wanted to delete those’ paragraphs of the' report which condemned the dictatorship in Russia.

The man who moved the deletion of the paragraphs was a tailor from Manchester -Mr Mycock. He read what he had to say—familiar Communist propaganda, the real authorship of which the congress seemed to suspect. The congress was whole-heartedly with Mr Citrine when he said; "You cannot rouse millions of men to fight unless you can hold out the possibility of results.” _ / Mr Citrine promised that the General Council would use all its power against dictatorships of any kind. When the vote came to be taken it seemed that only about half a dozen were for the amendment —the same people who had spoken. Then the report was adopted by an overwhelming majority. Mr J. Bromley (locomotive engineers and firemen) moved a resolution that congress expressed its strongest condemnation of the Nazi regime in' Germany as a hindrance to disarmament and a source of discord between nations. It further declared that “ in the event of any attempt to supersede democratic institutions ” the movement would take all possible steps, including the formation of plans for industrial action, to combat the menace.