SOCIALIST CATECHISM

Southland Times, Issue 19511, 10 May 1922, Page 6

SOCIALIST CATECHISM

PRECEPTS FOR YOUNG AUSTRALIANS. (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) SYDNEY, May 8. Mr Ley, Minister of Justice, is considering the introduction of legislation to enable the police to deal with the dissemination of allegedly seditious and disloyal propaganda by Socialist Sunday schools established in various parts of the State, which he claims are making criminals out of innocent children. He quotes extracts from a Communist Sunday school text-book which teaches a boy Socialist that he cannot be a Boy Scout because a Scout salutes the Union Jack, which is an emblem of oppression and slavery. Another question from the catechism is: “Is it true that God has ever revealed Himself ” The reply thereto is, “As there is no God he could not reveal Himself.” One of the proletariat commandments taught to the children reads, “Thou shalt not be a patriot, for a patriot is an international blackleg.” In one of the hymns the children are taught to sing: “Dividends, rent, interest, chicanery, lies, and brag are the gods of the Empire, their symbol the British Flag.” Mr Ley considers that drastic action is necessary to prevent the minds of young Australians being polluted by such disloyal and blasphemous teachings. A DENIAL SYDNEY, May 9. Mr Garden, secretary of the Trades and Labour Council, denies Mr Ley’s charges, against the teaching in Communist Sunday schools. He says that the text the Minister quotes is not known to Communist Sunday schools in this country and there is no catechism either in the schools or text books concerning Boy Scouts, the' Union Jack or God. Mr Ley, in reply to Mr Garden, says the latter denies the Communist teaching imparted, but will he refuse to endorse the sentiments? If Communist children are taught to believe, in God and be loyal to the -Empire, why not attend Sunday schools belonging to the respective denominations.