SEAMEN’S UNION ATTITUDE TO COMMUNISTS

Grey River Argus, 2 June 1948, Page 5

SEAMEN’S UNION ATTITUDE TO COMMUNISTS

WELLINGTON, June 1. “So far as the Communist Party is concerned, the executive finds it urgently necessary, in the interests of all concerned, to awaken in the mind of every member of the Seamen’s Union, a realisation of that Party’s true uoiectives ana 01 the means its followers employ to achieve them,” states a circular issued to its members by the executive of the Federated Seamen’s Union of New Zealand. The circular has been issued to acquaint members of the union with the facts of the Cook Islands dispute between the Cook Islands Workers Union and the Cc-ok Islands Progressive Association —a dispute that has caused interruption to the working of ships in the past few months. After alleging Communist interference with New Zealand ships’ crews regarding th e Cook Islands question, the circular issues a general warning to Seamen’s Union members acout the activities of Communists. “The Communist Party of New Zealand, like the Communist parties in all non-Communist countries, is dedicated to the service of that party in Russia,” states the. circular. ‘‘All local interests are subordinated to the instructions they receive from the Communist International, which dictates the direction from time to time of what they term the ‘party line.’ The workers of New Zealand and Rarotonga are only pawns m their game. “We have, in our union, a mere handful of avowed Communists, but they and their dupes and 'fellowtravellers’ are very actively engaged in following their ‘party line’ in cur midst.'

“They displav a hypocritical concern for the welfare of the workers, but members of the union have only to watch their manoeuvres closely in order to see that they are playing their part in the great conspiracy.” The circular is issued over the name of Mr F. P. Walsh (president •of the union), Mr W. R. Clarice (vice-president), Messrs T. F. Anderson, F. Trainer, T. Benson, G. Godfrey R. Ryan, T. Martin, and W. Wallace (councillors of the union), and Mr F. Newfield (secretary).