THE COMMUNIST MEETING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24697, 28 August 1941, Page 13

THE COMMUNIST MEETING

■ I'll CHf EDITOR Sir.— Contrary to the assertion of your correspondent!, “ John Gilpin, the Communists do believe “that the cultivation of a better spirit of human brotherhood and understanding among all peoples ” is of avail. But the greatest barrier to such a spirit is .the capitalist [system itself. Class antagonisms, existwithin capitalist society because of‘its; [very nature,, and were manifest long before there was a Communist': pafty>> l - The working; ..class throughout the ' world, were: forced to organise themselves into trade unions from the earliest days of capitalism to defend themselves against' their evergrowing exploitation by the capitalist class, which itself has its chambers of commerce, employers’ federations, etc., with which to combat the organised workers. Recognising the existence of this “class warfare.” the Communists wish to end it by establishing a society in which all work for the common good. That the majority of the capitalists prefer to maintain the present system is understandable, because that system gives them, a non-producing minority, the opportunity to exploit the producing majority. For this reason the Communist party looks to the organised workers- and, their allies,, the working farmers and professional people, to be the instrument which;,will finally abolish capitalism and build a new Socialist world.. And it is because sections of the ruling class see in Fascism and Nazism a chance to forestall their doom that they so readily espouse the cguse of Hitler. That it is among the capitalist class that the Nazis hope to find the “Fifth Column ” is borne out by the following report from The Times, which appeared in .the Daily Times of August 26. and refers to statements by members of the German Embassy in Moscow on their way back to Berlin: “The invasion, they said, was behind schedule, but an eventual German victory was assured. Then an independent Russian State could no longer be allowed to exist. There would no longer, they said, be any group inside Russia capable of gathering the national, forces together or of founding a fieW regime in the spirit of the new order.” In other words, they doubted whether Quislings would spring up in sufficient numbers.

By these statements the Nazis show that they realise only too well that in the Soviet Union, where there is no capitalist class, there is no basis for a Fifth Column! “ John Gilpin ”• advances the rival claims of America as Britain’s greatest ally, as opposed to the Soviet Union, but it is well to remember that it was America, and not the Soviet Union, which supplied Japan with the bulk of her war materials, and that, while the Soviet Union was struggling for a peace bloc of the democratic Powers, which would have prevented war and nipped Hitler’s plans for world conquest in the bud, America followed an isolationist policy which was in effect a blow to peace and the British Empire itself. Fortunately circumstances have forced both Britain and America to abandon their anti-Soviet policies, and to-day we find Britain and the Soviet taking joint action against the Nazi war-mongers in Iran. But when we take into account the Soviet’s consistent efforts to preserve peace over the last two decades, it becomes obvious that she is the greatest defender of peace and democracy the world has ever known.—l -am, etc,. For the Communist Party, J. J. Hannan. August 26, 1941. TO THE EDITOR Sir, —As your correspondent “Silent Listener ” persists in maintaining that I referred to certain Cabinet Ministers as Fifth Columnists, I find it necessary to assure him that he is distorting my remarks. As Mr Hannan replied to this assertion in a previous letter, it should not be necessary for me to reply. However, seeing your correspondent ignores this explanation —why I don’t know—l will endeavour to reply myself, and in so doing will try and help him out of a few more of his misconceptions. My statement was confined to asserting that these particular gentlemen would be far more use to the community in looking for the real Fifth Columnists who, as history has shown, always occupy leading administrative positions in their respective countries, rather than victimising militant workers for their political beliefs and trade union activity, and thus assisting the real Fifth, Column. J . , , .. Your correspondent also made the statement that the British Empire is giving the fullest possible aid to the Soviet Union. This is definitely not admitted by the Communist Party Perhaps " Silent Listener ” will be chagrined to see that the Communists are not the only ones to demand aid for Russia, but that reputable English newspapers such as the Sunday Express. Sunday Times and Reynolds News are clamouring for action. This news item, which appeared in the same issue of the Daily Times as “Silent Listener’s ” letter, stated: “ The Rus-

sian situation has led to the general recognition that Britain must do something immediately to assist the Soviet Union.” I would like to remind “ Silent Listener” that by his attack on the Communist Party he places himself in the company of Hitler, Mussolini and the Fascists of Japan, who are Ull ardent “anti-Reds,” and I am convinced that “ Silent Listener.” like the abovenamed gentlemen, will not be successful in driving a wedge between the Communists and the rank and file of the Labour, movement. —I am, etc., Dunedin, August 27. J. L. Marston, • [.Subject to the right of reply by "Silent Listener” this correspondence is closed.—Ed. O.D.T.]