"MISSION TO MOSCOW"

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 83, 22 June 1945, Page 4

"MISSION TO MOSCOW"

Sir —Your correspondent Mr Jessup being unable to reply to my arguments by counter logical argument declines further discussion and departs terming me "a venal scribbler" and malicious slanderer. Alter all Davies in his book from which the picture is made confirms all my statements. The whole picture he gave in his book of the life of the people of Russia is the very opposite to that portrayed in the film. Your correspondent "Alpha" is amusing. Max Eastman was an enthusiastic Communist so much so that lie went to Russia and lived there for many years—a brilliant writer widely quoted and widely rea ( d. ? l am glad "Alpha" brings *p the Webbs who never lived in Russia but merely paid a short visit there- The Webbs state that In 1929 one million families (comprising some five million innocent human beings) were liquidated by state planned famine. Has Alpha forgotten this? Even Maurice Hindus 5 a widely read Leftist, has to admit that in another state planned famine of I<W2-:W at least another three millions were liquidated. Are these "venal scribblers"? Ambassador Davies tells us of t.wo years and 1938) of "stark horror." Of course "we must co-operate with Russia and Churchill as head of a government must not criticise any government with which we are not at war. Russia's form of government is her affair but we don't want her system here and the public should be tokl the truth about the film ' "Mission to Moscow" —that it is a distortion of the book and the truth. Does Alpha forget that Churchill has just told us that Socialism is abhorrent—that it means the end of democratic government —that Cripps and Morrison intend, to, destroy .democratic government- —that it means political jjolice, Gestapo and ultimately absolutism —which means that the people under socialism no longer have the right and the power to change government by peaceful means. In other words Churchill tells us that Socialism is gangsterism, is not Russia a Socialist state? Does not Ambasador Davies in his book tell us of the two million Secret/Police with thousands amongst the crowds during celebrations in the Red Square? Does; not Davies state that revolution must come in Russia? Is it not. clear from the Webbs Hindus, from Dairies and » ' from Churchill as well as from common sense that Socialism is a form of feudalism of the most terrible. type and that under it government must inevitably become, government by assassination? Paul Win-terton, a Communist pressman of an all but Communist paper, was Official Broadcaster from Moscow lor us. What of his outburst upon his recent return to England? What of White, leading pressman of America \vho went to Russia in 194.4 with Eric Johnston. White in gentle words tells of the hopeless inefficiency in factories — of the million pound Ford tyre plant urgently requested from America—saw it lying in the open exposed to the weather and deteriorating where it had been for over a 9 year—saw the much talked of wonder factories; in the Urals —something went wrong with the show and they came upon a large crowd of work- ' ers ? women in rags, proceeding to take their shift in the factory guarded by soldiers with fixed bayonets in front behind and at both sides — tells the story of the deporting of ' Russians and Poles in locked freight ! car;? with holes cut in the floor for ( a toilet—of the cars left on the side 1 tracks with the victims' locked in— of the unlocking of the doors* to 1 take out the corpses. ' No wonder the Pressmen in Mos- ' cow laughed at the film "Mission to Moscow." No wonder Davies felt uncomfortable! We cannot afford to fool w 7 ith dynamite for this is what Socialism is. We cannot afford ' to fool with something terribly evil, ' something that will not abolish but 1 will establish slavery. 1 Yours etc.. J. T. McBETH. 1 5 __ l