RIGHT-WING DEMOCRACY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26485, 12 June 1947, Page 5

RIGHT-WING DEMOCRACY

TREND OF BRITISH LABOUR RUSSIAN NEWSPAPER’S CHARGE Special Correspondent. Rec. 8 p.m. LONDON, June 11. The results of the Labour Party Conference at Margate clearly brought to the fore what the Russians call ‘the problem of Right-wing social democracy,” says the Manchester Guardian’s Moscow correspondent. The Russian press has consistently given the greatest prominence, and the greatest importance has been attached, to speeches and articles by Mr. K. Zilliacus and other “ anti-Bevinites, and it was hoped that Margate would, to a large extent, endorse these criticisms of British foreign policy.

A few days before Margate Izvestia came out .with a sledgehammer attack against Mr Bevin. This obviously did not have any effect on Margate, where opposition to the British foreign policy proved weak and ineffective and, above all, unorganised.

Among the main ideas in a series of articles that have been running for the last week are that the Executive Committee of the Labour Party is the real citadel in Europe of right-wing social democracy and a source of decisions laying down anti-Communist trends, that opposition to right-wing social democracy inside the Labour movement must be more thoroughly organised in future both to fight Britain's “ reactionary foreign policy ” and to encourage “ populai°front movements throughout Europe. Call for Popular Fronts

Pravda is clearly anxious that the struggle “ for popular fronts and against right-wing social democratic opportunism ” must be made • more active. It also resents attempts made by western social democracy to demoralise the Socialists in Czechoslovakia, Rumania and other countries in eastern and central Europe which have hitherto been “ loyally co-operating with Communists in defence of real democracy.”

Pravda, in short, indicates that a great struggle is now in full swing throughout Europe between two different ideologies and policies, both of which call themselves Socialist.

Social democracy is being accused of taking part in an anti-Communist crusade and a crusade against the Soviet Union, and it is complained that there is not sufficient organised opposition inside the respective Socialist and Labour Parties against this policy. Pravda is shocked by the prohibition on Labour members against joining the Anglo-Soviet Society, which it describes as the most blatant example of anti-Soviet hostility shown by Labour leaders.

British Press Blamed All this must be taken along with Izvestia’s forecast that Mr Bevin s attitude will not make progress easier at the November Council of Foreign Ministers. For this grim state of affairs the British press is largely held responsible, especially the Daily Herald and the Manchester Guardian.