REPLY BY COMMUNISTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25303, 13 August 1943, Page 4

REPLY BY COMMUNISTS

MR FRASER'S “ FAIRY TALE "

A statement issued by the Wellington District Executive of the Communist Party in reply to Mr Fraser’s allegations in the House of Representatives on Tuesdav night, says: "As Mr Fraser well knows from his perusal of the daily press and from h‘s own personal experience, the Communist Party is opposed to Mr Scrimgeour’s candidature. and in all electorates (including his. own) is working for the return of the Government candidates. Furthermore, the statement that there are Communists on Mr Scrimgeour’s Election Committee is entirely unfounded. The support of the Communist Party for the return of the Government is motivated only by the needs of national unity and the unity of the Labour movement, and does not imply unqualified approval of every individual member of the Labour Government. “ In working for the return of Mr Fraser himself the Communist Party does so. not out of admiration for every deed done or word uttered by Mr Fraser,. but out of interest for the needs of the Labour movement and the whole of the people. Statements such as that made by the Prime Minister do not serve to enhance his reputation, either in the eyes of the Communist Party or in the eyes of the Labour movement. The Prime Minister’s claim to have unearthed a plot hatched by ’ Communists ’ to set up a so-called ‘ Freedom Radio ’ is absolutely ridiculous; and naturally the Communist Party does not feel itself obliged to answer this fairy tale. We would simply call Mr Fraser’s attention to the very words he used in the letter sent to ■ a certain group of' parliamentary candidates on the same day: ' Your other extravagances call for no comment except to state that it is a pity anybody should occupy himself with expressing such nonsense.’ ”