RED FED. PATRIOTS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 245, 19 November 1914, Page 9

RED FED. PATRIOTS.

GENTLE ART OF HECKLING. ANTI-MILITARISM RUN MAD. THREE YOUNG MEN. Tlie tactics of the Red , Fed-, antimilitarist, and Social-Democrat form an interesting study to the observer. There seems to be a close connection between the three, and it is now established that the Liberals are not unwilling to make a quartet of the trio. One of the favourite diversions of the Red. Fed. and anti-militarist is to attend political meetings, not necessarily in his own constituency, and heckle the candidates. Three young men floated into Mr H. D. Acland's meeting at the' Leyden Street Hall last evening. One was a smart-looking bespectacled youth, suffering from anti-militarism in its most acute form. The second was a curlyheaded laddie, with a, red ribbon in his buttonhole. The third was an older man, with an accent that was almost a dialect. This trio has been hunting together, and it apparently wishes to make its plesenee felt, if not welcome. During the candidate's' speech they conversed together in not too sotto voce tones. One of them always seemed to have something to communicate to his friends which could not possibly be' kept until the conclusion of the address. They were not boisterous, but their behaviour was- excessively irritating to (people within hearing of their voices. When questions, were invited, these young men disclosed their true mission. Their self-confidence and complacency" were supreme, if thev were not delightful.

. The sinart-loeking young man with the spectacles got up and propounded a question. It was the. old wheeze about the entry of the Waihi Union Hall. It was so long, and contained' so many implied or direct, accusations against the ptesent Government that he had not dared to commit it to memory. So he read it, but'that did not add to its clarity. Briefly, he wanted to know whyvthe Government hadn't ran somebody in for daylight burglary, committed in the presence of and with the sanction of the police. ~ The candidate, like the rest of the audience, confessed to being a bit rusty on the facts. He hoped, however, that bnrglafious acts, no \ matter who committed them, would be severely reprehended by the Government. "Well, your Government hasn't!" the young man declared, with what he meant to be crushing finality. The present war was discussed in a series of questions, in which it appeared that, according to these patriots, Belgium had committed a monstrous and un-Chris-tian act in resisting the advance of the good, kind Germans. The war would not have happened, said one, if Belgium had been a Christian country. As it was, there were a number of free-thinking papers published in that country (in tones of horror). .A lady in the audience said "Boo! " to this goose, who promptly returned "Yah!" The candidate confessed that he could not see that even Chtistianity required a country to receive a ravaging enemy with the glad hand of welcome. He was still under the chivalrous delusion that men • should fight, and if need be die, for their country.

Another -question related to the land defence of New Zealand, and Mr Acland replied that he upheld the present system. Experience would show where amendments were necessary. Personally, he thought that the period of training up to the age of 25, was rather long. "So you would have the defence done by boys of 12 and 14?" was the prompt distortion by one of the trio. The candidate explained that his view was that men 'should be passed into the reserve at an earlier age than 25. After training they would be liable to be called on up to any age. Did the candidate agree with the disfranchisement of resisters to the Defence Act?

Tfce candidate did. Any- man who would not fit himself to defend his country was not fit to assist to govern it. Several labour questions were also propounded, ending with a supremely-impu-dent one from the man with the accent. Seeing that the candidate was sympathetic with Labour, why not leave Labour to run its own business, and pull out of the contest in the interests of the Labour candidate?

This charming proposal was greeted with laughter, and was smilingly declined by the candidate. The trio had another shot in its locker. A motion having been called for, one of them promptly proposed a vote of thanks to the candidate, and another seconded it. A lady proposed a vote of thanks and confidence, and another seconded it. The •i ■ ■ •■ *

ried, in spite of the vehement "No!" emitted by the trio. They were a very interesting study indeed. ~ . ■'. . ■-■■':