The Timaru Herald Wednesday, December 29, 1926. COUNTERING THE REDS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 29 December 1926, Page 8

The Timaru Herald Wednesday, December 29, 1926. COUNTERING THE REDS.

“It is necessary to employ Russian. methods to win,” declared Mr A. J. Crook, secretary of the Miners’ Federation r>t Great Britain—the cable messages report this morning—during a visß o Moscow, in a letter sent to the Soviet authorities, m ™. c “ ■‘promised greater revoluDoivai> activity in Britain I l n , Homeland, on his return Horn his visit to his masters, Mr Cook should receive a very chil nig reception, since the thoughts 01 employers and employees are non turning to the movement desig; p ed to promote iho Indus trial Peace Union of the British Empire, which aims at five years ol industrial peace. Unquestionably, the year now drawing to « close has been one of great tna for the British Empire. C ose observers of the march of political and industrial movements point out that, enemies within tin-, gates and without, have been very active In stirring up trouble atul insiduously attempting t-o undeimine the great. Commonw eaitli ot Nations to which we are proud t.p belong'. The Motherland lias had more than its share of burdens to carry. One pleasing feature of this time of stress ami worry is the fact of the abiding loyalty of Britain’s soils and daughters overseas. The enemies of Great Britain are our enemies, and it is well to fiild that the Dominions never forget this truth. This yeai; Britain has been almost constantly engaged in warfare which . has been'thrusfc upon her. _At times it has seemed, what with industrial, political, Imperial and international unrest, that the strain must prove too great- for even a giant nation to bear up against. Amongst tlie attacks the Empire has had to meet this year, none have been more bitter, treacherous and deadlly than tile onslaughts of the Red Bolshevik forces, under various guises and disguises. The chief efforts have been directed against Britain's trade and commerce. No doubt, with the view that to injure her industries, trade and commerce was to deal a death blow to the Empire. So hold are the Conrn i.nists in this regard tJmt. tliey ao not hesitate to atfirm that their, object is to cripple and ultiinr.telv destory it - -they car,, the Empire which stands in the wav i f their vile schemes for world revolution. These intrigues culminated in the General Strike at Home, a plan long advocated and worked for by the Reds in Britain and Moscow. The. attack was frustrated by tiro loyalty of the British people, though Soviet Russia poured ■•ut money in trying to make it sue ceed. There have been strikes in Australia and other parts of riie Empire, nil having a distinctly red colouring. Yet, wo have weathered these storms because otir people in general are loyal, and the real workers, apart from political agitators, want peace and not war. Amidst all the conflict a strong spirit lias grown up in favour ot industrial peaceLeaders like J. Havelock Wilson, Will Appleton, J. R. C'lynes, I. H. Thoma 9, J. Ramsay Macdonald, and others, are all preaching peace in England today. The most outstanding figure in this campaign for peace is Mr Wilson, the seamen s champion. He is engaged in raising half a million pounds to organise a great, movement of industrial peace for the Empire, and from present indications seems likely to succeed. Not unnaturally such a movement does not appeal to Mr Cook and his friends among the plotters of Moscow. Class war madness has been tried and found wanting. Men and women of British stock are turning to the gospel, which is ever new, ‘‘Peace cn earth and goodwill toward men.” Some weeks ago, Sir William Jpynson-Hicks (Home Secretary) warned the British public against “the number of internal enemies who were pledged to a foreign power, and seemed determined to destroy our beloved country.” The Minister wenr. on to say that “the Imperial Government, through the Secret Service, knew all about the efforts in progress to bleed the British Empire white.” Mr. Cook promises greater revolutionary activity in Britain 1 Doubtless the Imperial Government. will effectively counter Mr Cook’s activities. It is really time for the British Government to do something more than watch the Bolsheviks and their puppets ; it is time to bundle them out, of the country, “lock, stock and barrel.”