LABOUR AND COMMUNISTS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 179, 12 November 1941, Page 2

LABOUR AND COMMUNISTS

PARTIES APART

CAN NOT COLL A BORATE

"Suggestions have been made of common action between the New Zealand Labour movement and the New Zealand Communist Parly in the prosecution of our Avar effort," states the joint declaration of the Ncav Zealand Labour Party and the Federation of Labour, endorsed with

small dissentient A T ote by the Wellington Trades Council, calling upon nil Dominion Avorkers to giA r e greater efforts. "We have given careful consideration to these proposals and we see no justification for such collaboration .

"The British Commonwealth of Nations for two years, has borne, the brunt of this titanic struggle. In the hour of common danger the unity of the British peoples in defence of their democrtaic liberties and institutions has been unsurpassed in our history. All sections of the community have freely given of their utmost effort in furtherance of the common cause.. The single striking exception has been the Communist Party. In September, 1939, that party declared its determination to resist Hitlerism. A little later, suddenly and without consultation with the rank and file, it reversed this policy. It then declared that the struggle against Nazism Avas an 'Imperialist war' which must be stopped. Since then the Communist Party has taken every opportunity to obstruct and Aveaken the national effort. It has misrepresented and obstructed the purposes of the Labour movement in supporting the fight against Hitlerism.

"When, on Sunday, June 22, 19-11, Hitler, without warning or provocation, attacked Soviet Russia, the New Zealand Communist Party once again without consultation with its rank and file changed its policy. It announced that the struggle was no longer an 'Imperialist war.' The Communist Party during the war has thus demonstrated its irresponsible and unstable character. The sufferings of the British people under the strain of almost constant Nazi raids left it unmoved and unaffected. No vestige of sympathy for the British people or for the cause for which Britain and the Dominions light- has appeared in Communist declarations. Not only have they not supported New Zealand efforts to alleviate the position of the British people; actually in the case of the movement to provide ambulances for the people of London the Communists, have been openly hostile. Unlike the Labour movement, the policy of the Communist Party is not, and has never been, determined by democratic methods, or by reference to the needs and purposes of the people of New Zealand.

"The New Zealnd Labour Party and the New Zealand Federation of Labour therefore conclude that no useful purpose can be served by collaboration or association in any way with the Communist Party or its subsidiary organisations."