A SIGHTLESS SAMSON

Waipa Post, Volume 32, Issue 1926, 26 October 1926, Page 2

A SIGHTLESS SAMSON

'SEEKING WAR, AND 'NOT PEACE. .(Contributed 'by the New Zealand Welfare League.) In >Br!iltain at ttlie pilesent time are two conflicting ideas within the Labou\r movement. One set of individuals hold to (the thouglht that welfare for the masses is to be found 'by industrial war; atfd! another is equally sure thajt. only by industrial pteace can Hie wforkers of the nation find security and lasting bleneiit. It is another instance of the irreconcilable opinions of the philosophies "which divide Labour into two camps—the 'Rf:ds and the Whites.

Mr J. H'avelock Wilson, the veteran president of the Blritislh .Seamen's Union, audi Mr A. J. Cook, the miners' Communist secretary, stand at two different poles :as Labour leaders. Th'e former is for peace and stability to the 'UuliMlng up of Britain's trade; the I'aCter loses no opportunity of shrieking for war, and sieems to care little if Britain's trade 'went 'wholly to the dogs. fff'or some time the war mongelr s in Che Labour movement have had a good innings, and now there comas a revolt. Mr J. H. Thomas says: "The thus has come for those of us who had to stand slurs and jeers 'to speak out," and he meets Mr Cook's call for an lembarg'o- on coal with the 'blunt remark: "Don't''play the hyipocriite and pretendi you can do it." Alt the Labour Party Conference the president, Mr Robert Williams, made an important statement in support of the peace policy. He pointed out that iVom Jully, 1925, to April, 1926, they had nothing hut a call for war—a constant repetition of " clear the dlecks for action." 'Then he pronounces for peacfe! in these words: "Laibour does not think that international loir industrial peace can be assured by preparing for war. Wie must nc|t forget that industrial, like international, 'peace must be solufgh't through ■conciliation." •A! moist striWing passage in his s'p'aiech followed later wih'en he said: " The

miners' continuance of the struggle is h/eroic. lit is a sightless Samson feeling fbir fche pillars of the temple, the crafe'hing Of "which might engulf wha't we call Britilsh civilisation."

There is room for doubt whjather there is anylfching heroic in the continuance of such a struggle. One fa.ct which s|hould not he lost sight of is lohat the miners have had* t'heir minds chloroformi£|d with Communist dope for a Jong time, and the

Communist of conviction cares nothing for British or any other civilisation. The American Federation of Labour has no doubt about the matter when :];. says: "We lfcigand! the Sovit regime a s the most unscrupulous,.most antisocial, and the most menacing instiItutCon of th|e whole world to-day."

Workers who have aay regard for their country and their homes should keep liver in t'heir minds the fact thali the Reds ajrje a menace to them and to those they hold 'dear. The Communist fanatics care nothing how much t'hS' massleis may suffer if only It hey can use the workers towards their igr/eait. idea of a world revolution.

Mr A. J. Cook, who declaired himself " a humble disciplle. of Lenin," has maUle another move. We learn 'by cable that "the milkers' executive has formed a dcintiral 'war council." The huinble dlisciple shows the character Of his humility in his belllicose utterance that " neithjer Williams, MacDonald, Thlomaa, nor IHodges represents Brl/tish workers." Because these Sndivid nails dare to express idleais differing in character flrom those of the recioifb'table IMr A. J. Cook he tells the world: "The Labour Contorjence, includnlig Mjessrs iWlilliamis land' MacDonalld, instead of encouraging the miners, joined hands 'with the icoalownclrs an'ct the "Government in attacking us." This is the -Deal .charadtteir U? Ithe Socialist who adopts the Russian brand of that article. The essence of Bolshevism is dictatorship, and here Mr Cook discloses hlis evidemt desire' to rank as the 1 dictator. People of our Empire are asking: "(How long will his mafdness

continue?" Our opinion is Ithat it will, go on just as Jong as the British people ait Home and abiroad a're content ,to h'e 'footed. IWe allow sentimentality to becloud our judgments, and actually iby isfupineness assist .those who are out to make wa<r on thte nation. 'The 'Brdtiish miners, because thley hav/e .suffered much in Ithe ipas't, are made the spoilt children of industry. It is not good for them or other peopile. Why should not this sympathy

go rather to (the engineers, tWsi shipbuilders, and otheir skilled men who have been working for lower wagtes than the miners?

The way tfo encourage industrial peacfe is to give more attention to the workers 'who aJrle seeking peace, and less to those Who are for eve;' seeking war.