Communists Shower Mr. Eden’s Meeting With Anti-war Bills

Grey River Argus, 7 October 1948, Page 6

Communists Shower Mr. Eden’s Meeting With Anti-war Bills

LONDON, October 5.

A few minutes after Mr Eden began speaking in support of the recruiting campaign from the Mansion House balcony, showers of anti-war handbills were thrown in the air in front of the rostrum and several men in the audience began shouting. Detectives mingled with the crowd and mounted police immediately cut off all the approaches to Mansion House.

The words being shouted could not be heard, and Mr Eden continued speaking while the police escorted two men from the crowd. After Mr Eden’s speech demonstrators climbed a 200-ft high monument not far from Mansion House and showered more leaflets bearing the imprint of the London District Communist Party, depicting an exploding atom bomb. STRENGTH FOR PEACE

In his speech, Mr Eden said: “It is our duty to be strong enough to' defend our people and our homes. There is one lesson which this century should have taught us—that weakness in our own island is not a contribution to peace. We have pone of us aggressive intentions towards any other country anywhere on the earth’s surface, but it is our duty to be strong. “The fact that the Western Powers have appointed commanders for their forces is a fair indication that, while we in the West do not want to hinder the way of life of any other nation, we will not yield our way of life. Hitherto we have been able to use the breathing space in two great wars long enough to arm oui’ people and by so doing we have run tod the very edge of risk. “This is not an issue on which the Communists have a right to be heard. In 1940 when we stood alone the Communists gave us no help, but if this country had gone down, where would the ‘world be now and where would Communism be now?” Eleven men and a woman arrested for an anti-war demonstration during Mr A. V. Alexander’s Mansion House speech yesterday, appeared in Court to-day. The charge against the woman was dismissed and the men were all bound over to keep the peace.