SOCIALISTS AND WAR.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 529, 9 June 1909, Page 4

SOCIALISTS AND WAR.

Sir,—Much haa recently appeared in this press about the opposition to oompulsory military sorvico, and it bas been pointed out that tho opposition has coino from a few who endeavoured to unfairly dofeat tho aims of certain public meetings. 'Now, will you allow mo as one of the oldest members of liio Socialist party to protest against ally effort to withhold from an opponent a fair hearing? The disturbances recently crcated at public meetings arose from a-.number of irresponsible individuals, and it does not follow that the general body of Socialists are in sympathy with them. To me, tho way in which some Socialists took oharge of tho meeting hold in tho Toto Hsll for the purposo of consider-, ing immediate action regarding the unemployed problem was obviously unfair, and the Socialists who spoke dealt largely with Socialist platitudes rather than tho oipress object for ijhich tho meeting was called, that of tho best mothod to deal with tho difficulty immediately. Tho meeting 1-Soved the old contention that' the worst enemies of the cause of Socialism ajo some i i . Now, the point I parti* •\t ca " attention to is: Are we in New Zealand, or any other country, sufficiently advanced to bo bofood the possibility f ar M ? n . v . my comrades point oftt t/bat, when Socialists oome into power, tho privileged classed will endeavour to retain thwr advantages by a call to arms in order to overthrow, the decrees of the Socialist state, it Would only bo another ease of historv repeating itself. The Socialists would- thon have to take up arms in order to enforce the laws. It is really beside the question to talk about war being barbarous. That does not prove we aro able to do without it yet. Unruly conduct at public meetings is inviting a display of physical force in itself a sort ol warfare. Another point of great importance is that prominent Socialists in all parts of the world advocate citizen armies, wid, I believe, that the Social Democratio Federation in Britain put it forward as one of their palliatives. I wish to make an appeal to' my ooaiwhom it may JnTn. to, make, a noise, but we must weigh and consider after hearing both debitos fe qUeSt,oß i; Wol s Mt or debates held on such a subject as "Is' War a at the Present Stage of Evolube helpful? If is our present stage, then wo must have mill'«ome «,rt, and what k moro democratic than a citizen army P—l am, etc., Johnsonrille.