UNDER THE LASH

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21573, 8 February 1940, Page 6

UNDER THE LASH

Enemies of the State

Attack By Mr Semple By Telegraph—Press Association CHRISTCHURCH, February 7. Disruptive sections of the community whose activities are designed to retard New Zealand’s war effort came under the lash from the Hon. R. Semple (Minister of Public Works) today. He described them as a conglomeration of political enemies of the State—Communists, pacifists, and direct agents of foreign Powers. “I can understand the honest and sincere pacifist who objects to war on religious grounds,” said Mr Semple, “but I cannot understand him associating himself with other sections which adopt the guise of pacifism and at the same time glorify the Red murderer. Stalin’s invasion of Finland ‘s glorified by these people who are preaching pacifist in New Zealand. That means they are glorifying aggression and the murder of Innocent women and children. These people, so they say, object to New Zealand doing anything t” assist in the defence of the life and liberty of the people of the British Commonwealth, and in their publications they hold Stalin, an International murderer, up as mankind’s saviour. I have offered to find the fare of one of the Communist leaders to go to Russia and carry on propaganda against the actions of the hulers, but so far there has been no response.

“They know their doom to be sealed as soon as they opened their mouths. When the people of this country tire of the Government they can rid themselves of it at the proper time, by constitutional means. That is the principle of liberty that is at stake to-day.

"Who are these people that are setting themselves up as an anti-war organisation?” asked the Minister. "I believe that all people of all nations, with the exception of the two dictators, who have blood-thirsty dreams of world conquest, are against war. I have opposed war all my life, but I have never subscribed to the belief that one must bare his chest submissively to the bayonet of the invader who will take his life and the liberty of the children who will come after him. That is the issue to-day. Let no one forget it."