REVOLUTIONARY ACTIVITIES

Otago Witness, Issue 3510, 21 June 1921, Page 41

REVOLUTIONARY ACTIVITIES

PRO-GERMANISM. BOLSHEVISM, AND SINN FEIN. A COLLEAGUE OF ROGER CASE- ' MENT. “BORING FROM WITHIN.” LONDON, April 21. A determined effort is being made by the Morning Post to rouse people to the dan ger which is threatening Great Britain as the result of the activities and free speech of the revolutionary elements at present at large in the country. It has often been suggested that there is a very close connection beP.veen pro-Germanism, Bolshevism, and Sinn Fein. In fact, it is possible to regard the Bolshevist and Sinn Fein movements as offshoots of the larger pro-Ge man movement, and it is now possible to show that tire most notorious of our war time pro-Germans is at present conducting Sinn Fein propaganda. “There has just been formed in Glasgow.” says the writer of the Morning Post articles, "a society with the innocent-look-ing of the * West of Scotland Peace with Ireland Union.’ The statement of the aims of this organisation would lead the reader to believe that it is inspired solely by good intentions, ar.d is quite harmless. But I am going to suggest, that this union has been formed at the instigation of Mr E. D. Morel, the secretary of the Union of Democratic Control, during his recent visit to Scotland. This gentleman suggested the need for such an organisation in his speech at Dundee on January 23 And if we examine this speech, now issued as a I- .D.C. pamphlet, we shall better understand the real aims of the ‘ West of Scotland Peace with Ireland Union ’ and the nature ot the ‘ authenticated evidence,' which the union proposes to disseminate Mr Morel's address was devoted entirely to the denunciation of the Crown forces, and there was not one word of sympathy for the victims of the Sinn Fein murder gang. MOREL’S SPEECH. “Mr Morel, who is the prospective Labour candidate for Dundee, told his audience that the British nation ‘is engaged at the present time in an abominable attempt to crush out the national spirit of the remnant of the Irish people by a system of calculated and deliberate barbarism, by a terror which includes incendiarism and pillage, the scientific destruction of private and public property, of villages and co-operati\e industries; and which includes the assassination of men, women, and children.’ “He adds that ‘ this is the spectacle for gods and men which this nation presents to the horrified gaze of the civilised world, and to the growing and furious resentment of our cousins across the Atlantic and of our own kitli and kin in the self-governing dominions.’ “I he poisonous insinuation which characterised Mr Morel's propaganda during the war are evident. Appealing to the working classes he said: ‘lf liberty is crushed in Ireland you may be sure that it will be crushed in Scotland and in England, too. and by the same men. The measures designed to enslave Ireland are designed by Ministers who, if the opportunity offers, will apply the same measures to enslave Scotland and England, too. Let there be no mistake about that. Hie spirit that is at work in British governing circles to-day in regard to Ireland is the soirit which inspired the massacre of the helpless, unarmed crowd of Indians at Amritsar last year. It is the spirit which would not hesitate to sweep with shot and shell an unarmed crowd much nearer home.’ “RAVENING BEASTS.” “He likened the troops in Ireland to •ravening beasts who are there ‘to make a hell upon earth for man, woman and child.’ Mr M ore! endeavoured to substantiate his charges by quoting letters he hud received from poisons in Ireland describing )he outrages committed by the British forces. These ' ette; ; were obviously part of the .Sinn Fein propaganda. In his references to the lii.-ii Rebellion of 1916 he omitted to tell bis Dundee audience that behind t.he Rebellion was bis (Morel’s) late lamented friend and colleague, Roger Case-nu-u:, who was executed for treason.” A BRITISH BLOT. All through the present industrial crisis enu for months previously our British lc'oels have been trying to create trouble by using the miners, and, if necessary, the Triple Alliance, to overthrow our present social system. They have been most active (says the Morning lost) m Lanarkshire, i- ifesliire, and South Wales It is not an accident that it is precisely in these dis trk-to that tiler-' his been most disorder. Ji is duo entirely to this Communist propaganda. is interesting to recall the activities of the Red International. Last year one, J. T. Murphy, a British shop steward, made a most un ■ .tnfortable jour rey to Russia is a stowaway. lie returned in December last, a fully fledged member of the Provisional Internationa! Council of Trade and Industrial Union- iho Red int' i nxtio.ia! of Trade Unions. The object of this Internationa! is to procure the ,-e----(ession of the British Trade Union movement from the Yellow.” or Amsterdam Trade Union lilt "-national. This is to be il .ne bv the process of “boring from within.” A British bureau was formed .shortly alt. ! Murphy's return and included promii cut !-.embers of various union--, several ot ’.. bo had b- ea in Russia. MIX ERA AS TOOLS. Utioli Id ‘-Reform Committees,” which w. . ■ l< ; in in Wales, are being formed ii otrici < >alfields I’hey have beet* ex- • . active in the Rhondda Valley, in Lanark shire, and in Fifeshire They are making headway in Northumberland and in Durham, and t ney are doing something in Yorkshire. J hey work hand it: hand with the Red Internati rual, to which the life Miners’ .V-ociuiion has actually decided to affiliate. AN ILLUMINATING MANIFESTO. Less than two months ago a manifesto ♦ e. 3 ssued in the Northern Coalfields, from v inch the following is an extract:—

IMMEDIATE OBJECT'S. To work ior the abolition of Capitalism, and the substitution of Communism, meaning by Communism tiie ownership and absolute control of the means or livelihood by tha -working class. To advocate ail the mine workers’ unions be merged into one great mining industrial union, taking in ail wage-earners in tire industry', organised on tile understanding that an injury to one is an injury to all. A five-day working week and a eix-iiour day; abolition of local reductions; resistance to national reductions; abolition of piecework; abolition of income tax and other autocratic impositions ; annual holidays, with wages paid; wages to be paid, as "rate of compensation for injury or disablement. When this British Bureau was formed this country was divided into nine sections, and organisers were appointed at salaries of £5 and £6 a week. Even in London a “ Divisional Council ” has been set up, the president being Air Tom Mann. MOVEMENT FINANCED FROM MOSCOW. A good deal could Do said of the activities oi the organisers, who, by snap meetings, induce branches to pass resolutions demanding affiliation with the Moscow international and tiie sending of a delegate to the Moscow Conference m July next, The important point, however, is that appeals are now being made for British money to finance this movement, £4OOO was received from Russia to start it. iho Red International is being organised throughout the world at the expense of the Moscow Government, who hope for greater results from industrial organisations than from the bickering Communist groups which comprise the political Third international. RUSSIAN TRADE AGREEMENT. The Bolshevists, both in Russia and Great Britain, arc naturally delighted with the victory they ha\e secured in the Trade Agreement (says the Morning Lost). They know that this agreement will strengthen their tottering and criminal regime in Russia, and will open the way for an extension of their propaganda in this country. The position, briefly stated, is that propaganda agencies of the Soviet Government have been found in Great Britain and other parts of the Empire and these agencies are now very active. These organisations are under the direction of the executive of the Third (Communist) International, and are, therefore, in theory’, acting independently of the Soviet Government. The clause in the. Trade Agreement concerning propaganda -does not appear to apply to the operations of the Third International; and no doubt the Government’s advisers overlooked the fact that the -Soviet Government and the Third International are one and indivisible. The undertaking given by the Soviet will not affect in the least the activities of the organisations in this country that are part of the Third International. These organisations, by the terms of affiliation, arc pledged ro constant propaganda. “In the columns of the press, in public meetings, in trade unions, in co-operative societies, and wherever the partisans of the Third International have access, they must stigmatise mercilessly and systematically not only the bourgeoisie, but also their accomplices. Ilie reformists of all shades.” To make the propaganda clause of the Trade Agreement effective it would be necessary to disband the Third International and its affiliated societies. The Soviet Government does not intend to do this. In fact, its London centre is at present publishing official propaganda matter from Moscow, and is distributing it over the country. The leaders of Bolshevism know that, the Trade Agreement is a farce, and are laughing at the easy way in which they have fooled the British Government.