CHECKING RED MENACE

Chronicle (Levin), 5 April 1948, Page 2

CHECKING RED MENACE

Press A sssnn.int.inn )

Opposition Offers Its Full Co-operatiqn .

(Per

AVELLINNGTON, April 4. "If the Goveimment will take the steps necessary to • deal with the menace of Commiinism to the security and weli-being of the country it will have the wholehearted support and cooperation of Opposition members," said a statement issued by the Leader of the Opposition ' '(Mr. S. G. Holland) at the weekend follo'wing' I the caucus .of the Parliamentary Opposition on Friday. Members of the Opposition considered that if the present law provided suffieieiit sat'eg'uards it should be enforeed, and if liot the law should be altered to provide the ' necessary safeguai'ds. The Prime Minister had said 'that ample powers were provided by the existing l&vvs, but if'that were the ease it appeared that the Government was impotent to use the powers conferred on it by law. The recent public statement of Mr. Holland calling for strong positive action in restricting tlie subversive aetivitiei of ■ Communists was fully endorsed by the caucus which declared that while

it would always det'end the right of freedom of speech it would not countenance the abuse of this right by subversive elements which sought to take advantage of democratic privileges in order to overthrow the British system of demoeracy and rcplace it by totalitarian tyranny. Happenings . sueh as the recent political revolution in Czecho slovakia, the extension of Commiuiist domination in Europe and President Truman's dramafic cail for the reintroduction of conscription in America following the refusal of Communist-dominated countries to cooperate in the tasks of peace'were eited'as a warning of the dangers facing the world. The Queensland strike with its atteudant liitterness was also quoted as an example of Communist tactics. The ' caucus also endorsed the recent statement by Mr. Holland that persons guilty of subversive activities should not be permitted to occupy key positions in which they might conduqt fifth column activities in the ' ihterests . of a foreign Power. Such a course had' lately been adopted by the Labour Government in Britain where the

danger appeared to be appreciated more fully than in New Zealand. i "It is our opinion, " said Mr. | Holland, "that to allow the Com- 1 miuiist Party freedom to plan the overthi'ow of our demoeracy is equivaleut to permitting the mobi--lisation of an effective fifth column in our midst. The Opposition, represeuting almost half the present Parliament and more than half a million voters, therefore calls on the •Government to take the necessary deeisive action, and i'ailing such action to call an emergcncy session of Parliament to enable the wliole question to be discussed by the elected fepr'esentatives of Ihe people. "It is our view that no persoi] unwilling to take the oath of loyalty to New Zealand or acknowJedging allegianee to a foreign Power is entitled to the benehts and pi'ivileges of Tb'itish citizenship. The sooner such persons depart to the soui-ce of their political philosophy the . better for New Zealand."