“CLAPTRAP”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 118, 21 May 1932, Page 9

“CLAPTRAP”

WELFARE LEAGUE REPLIES During the proceedings in the Magistrate’s Court arising out of tbc recent window smashing in Wellington, counsel for the accused objected to the police evidence that the policy of the Communist organisations was to cause disturbances and to exploit the general unrest. He is reported to have said that there was no evidence of this outside the writings of the Welfare League, and when further discussion took place ho designated our writ ings on tho subject as “claptrap.” As we have seen, the same sort of criticism in the correspondence columns oi various papers, we feel bound to reply. We have repeatedly warned the public, the unemployed and, we must add. the authorities, that the Communist organisations were out to cause disturbances, and our only authority for this statement has been the declaration of the Communist leaders themselves—if these leaders have falsely declared tho policy, then those who ar® friendly to tho Communists should send in their protests to those leaders, particularly Comrade Losovsky (Moscow), instead of accusing the" Welfare League of writing “claptrap” when it quotes from their writings and speeches. Of course the repudiation of such a policy by the local Communists is insincere and ridiculous, but its repetition may deceive the people of this Dominion, so we will again shortly define the position— not our theory, but th© cold facts taken from Communist ; sources. Tho Third International, whose head- I quarters is at Moscow, is the govern- ‘ ing organisation of this movement, the local Communist party is self styled “the New Zealand Section of the Third International”—this is their own designation, we did not give them the name. Under the constitution every branch has to strictly obey orders from the parent organisation. There is no alternative. This obedience is the basis of the whole machineTho headquarters have laid down a very comprehensive policy in connection with Colonial countries, Great Britain, etc., and especially on the exploitation of unemployment. We have quoted these from time to time, and the general aim is “to divert this titanic force into revolutionary channels”—there have been numerous “theses” written on this and other matters, defining how the policy is to be put into practice, and is not a suppositions invention of the Welfare League or anyone else. Tt is cold fact unless the Communist leaders are liars and lAg pullers. The authorities and public should realise that it is an actual policy directed by able foreigners and especially against the Empire. Recent events have proved the truth of ehir repeated warnings during the last few years, and should convince the Government that it is time to declare “the NewZealand section of the Third Interns- 1 tional,” or any other anti-British foreign organisation at work in this Dominion, to be illegal. (Contributed by the Now Zealand Welfare League)