WAR AGAINST COMMUNISM

Chronicle (Levin), 22 October 1947, Page 6

WAR AGAINST COMMUNISM

RANDOLPH CHURCHILL URGES VIGILANCE If eommunists were in sucli a small ininority in New Zealand. and their propaganda was so blantantly false, wiiy vvas he getting so excited about theni^ ( This was a . question put by a nieinber of the andienee to Alr. Randolph 'Churchill foilowing his address to an assembly of more than 1000 x^ersons m the Opera House at Palmerston North last night. ' ' 1 am not at all excited about these few. eommunists you have iu New Zealand, but I am exeited about the aetivities of eommunists iu France where, however, I am glad to see they have received a thrashing from de Gaulle, ' replied Alr. Churchill, who weut ou to' sav that he was excited about the spread of communism in Italy and otlier civilised countries. The peoxile o± New Zealand would realise thRt whatever resolutions they might pass oi whatever actiou they might take these things would have no eft'ect. " It is what is happening on the other side of the globe that counts, ' ' he assertcd. "You all kuow that you will take orrters from the winner. The Jap anese did not come here during the wai bucau.se they realised that takiug New Zealand could make no difference to the tinal decision. If they won they would take New Zealand as part of the swag. btill, that is no reason whv you shoulil uot be vigilant. Anything v'ou ean do to back up the old Motherlaud in her hoiirs of trouble will be another nail in ilie cottin of communism. •' ; (Sustaihed apx>lause.j The Alayor, Alr. A. E. Aiansford, presided at the meeting. During the course of his address, which lasted au tiour, Alr. Churchill received a most attentive hearing with uo audible inter|ectiuns. It was a fearless, if dogmatic, speech, ivorded in the forthriglit language charai'teristic of souie of the historic wartime speeches of his illustrious fatlier, the Kt.. Ilon. Winston Churchill. Aithough he made a clearly defiued attack j m tiie «lo.-ti iii.il prineiples of sociahsm ;iiid I'ouinmnism. Alr. Churchill ler't 110 lioubt that he was aiining his broadsides ihrongh vvhat he considered to be the prutectiiig screen behind which tlie iorces for communism and socialism were waging their vicious vvar for .-'upremaey over democracy. Cenaiiily Alr. Churchill is 110 believer in trei.uing lightlv ou the corns of atiy who, in his opinion, however 1111wittiug'r . aid the cause of communism, fhi s was evilenced by the nianner 111 iviiieh !ie roundly criticised an evening 1 newsjiapai' lor publishing what he*tefm ed a * ' liund-out " account of a commun-,.-t iiieeling in Palnierston North, eoniauiiiig what he aliegeil tu be mislbadiutormat ion regarding tlie liumbers ■ro-eat. He descritied tlie attitude oi Zealand newspapers as naive for I ei- iisaiiig oiniiiuiii>t partV "handi lUtx" wiihout takiug the trouble ot .1,.-; iheeking their accuracy. Tliere >ere only iMOO eommunists in New -^raiMivl and he considered they receivd iar a:oie pubiicity than their 1111111oeis w ai ra nted. fv y, ).!••: i'iiat 's i'reedom. Mr. I'hanliill: Yes, but if a comfu'tuisi Cuiv ei nment gets into pow er you .von't le ai-le to have vour vle\vs publiskeil in tlie new spapei s; you woii't :>v' aii'e to issue chalienges and tlie Alayor v. 011't be able to take the cliair at sucli meetings as this. M r. t'hun liili 's references ti; challengis was to the report in the same e\\ aiug iiewspaper that a loeai comlaunist would issue a challenge to the spe.iker thrnugh the Alayor to debate conimuiiisiii with Alr. Churchill. "Tlie iiewspaper said the Alayor would hand this rhalieiige to me tonight," said Mr. Cliuichill. "Well, you cau see lie didn't do it." He said he knew w liy tlie coniuiuiiist was so anxious to issue the challenge. At his ou n meetings the eommufiist could get an audience ot ouly tio [lersons and he wauted to use Mr. Churrliiirs audience of 1000 person> to jiiit across his propaganda. "If he wauts an audience like this oue, let liim liire his own publie liall, '■ said Alr. Churchill, amid laughter. Tlie tenor of Alr. Churchill 's main address doseiy followed timi of ins speeches in otlier ceutres, Press Associr.tion reports of which have already becii publisheil at length iu "The Tiines ' \