ABOUT BOLSHEVISM

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 144, 13 March 1919, Page 4

ABOUT BOLSHEVISM

SOME FIRST-HAND INFORMATION,

(Prom Our Special Correspondent.) Palmerston North, March 12. Somo pointed references to the taint of Bolshevism gathered as the result of his observations in America were'made by tho Chautauqua lecturer, the Hon. J. C. Herbsmau, in an address delivered at Palmerston last night. He foresaw that tho great .danger affecting both England and America equally was Bolshevism. (A voire: That's not true. What- do you know about it?) JJr. Herbsmau, taking ud tho challenge, remarked that he knew all about it from first-hand information, cleaned from American and British Ambnssadors who had been in Russia during the great crisis, and who were eyewitnesses t'o the atrocities committed, and the awfnl deeds which were perpetrated in the name of Bolshevism. Ho informed his interrupter that he would tell him tho truth about Bolshevism, and if Jie wished to reply when he (the sueaker) had finished ho would be welcome to go up on the platform and give the lie to his statements. A country to he successful must be democratic, ftow, Bolshevism was the reverse of democratic. It meant government for the many by a few. It meant government by the prejudiced for tho unprejudiced, and was based on fear and terrorism. It meant confiscation of all established institutions, and giving nothing in their phce. It meant seizing all industries without any compensation to the people wlw had built them' up. It meant the confiscation of all property. It was a monaco to human life. This menace, which threatened to stagnate and terrorise tho world, must ba removed, not only from Germany and Russia, but it must also be prevented from taking root in England, France, America, and Australia, and even in New Zealand, whereat was evident its seeds wero being sown. Bolshevism must be removed root and' branch from the . face of the earth. It was out for the total . destruction of Anglo-Saxonism, .and every member of that ancient race should bestir themselves and Use every means to avert the threatened danger. One of the greatest problems which now confronted the Allied statesmen was how to extricate Russia from the condition into which she had been plunged by Bolshevism, H« was sanguine that the League of Nations wo'uid bo an' accomplished fact. It would form international arbitration courts, to which national disputes could be referred. This'would help to wipe out 80l shovism; and this done, the world would enter on a new era of peace, security, and prosperity.

At the ciose the lecturer was loudly cheered. ' The person who had interrunted was discreetly silent.