TO-DAY’S THE DAY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 29 October 1924, Page 5

TO-DAY’S THE DAY

POLLING IN BRITAIN. RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE. MAY SOUND THE DEATH-KNELL. e OF BRITISH LABOUR. [To-morrow the world will know . whether Britain will have a Labour Government or whether the pendulum of public opinion has swung round to the Conservatives. The importance of the elections, not only in their relaiton to Britain, but as to their effect on the whole of Europe and on the Dominions, cannot be over-estimated. A letter which Zinovieff, president of the executive committee -of the Communist Internationale, is stated to have been addressed to the British Communist Party, containing instructions to work for the violent overthrow of existing institutions in Britain, and the subversion of His Majesty’s armed forces -as a means to that end, has created a sensation, and, though it is repudiated as a forgery by the Labour Party, may sound the death- ■ knell of Labour at the elections.] BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.

LONDON, Oct. 27. The Prime Minister (Mr Ramsay MacDonald), speaking at Cardiff, said: “The election started with a mare’s nest, the Workers’ Weekly case, and i? likely to finish with a mare’s nest, the great Russian “Red” plot.: The assertion that when the Government refused an inquiry into the Workers’ Weekly ease it had information of ramifications and Communist activity in Britain far more serious than the’House of Commons and the country were allowed to know is a malicious untruth. “The facts are that the Government was defeated on October 8, and this ‘Red’ plot letter did not find its way to the Foreign Office until October 10. It was not put into the department till October 14, and was sent to me at Manchester on October 15, where I received it on October 16. I made a minute that the greatest care must be taken in discovering whether it was authentic. If so it must be published immediately. I altered the draft on October 24, and sent it back in an altered form, expecting it to be returned to me with proofs of authenticity, but it was'published 'that'night. (Cries of ‘shame. ’) I make no complaints about the Foreign Office, and everyone of my colleagues know that I will not tolerate this propaganda. “The rapidity of the action, and the business-like way of handling the Government’s determination to stand no nonsense is a conspicuous example of the new way of conducting foreign affairs. If the Zinovieff letter is a forgery it shows the amount of scoundrelism that .surrounds us. My experience has made it impossible for me not to be suspicious. If it is genuine, depend upon it that, so long as there is a Labour Government and I am responsible for it, I will handle with firmness and determination every attempt by an outside Power to.interfere' in our internal affairs.?’ Mr■ MacDonald said in conclusion: “I am the most innocent man of the lot of you. I was out of London and I had to get the information, which is still coming in, because I am going to probe this thing to, the roots. It will be my first job when 1 return to London to discover how this thing originated, and who is behind it, and you will get the whole story.” “I know the letter may have originated anywhere,” said Mr MacDonald, “but. how can I. a simple honest-minded person, avoid the suspicion that the whole thing is another gunpowder plot? The matter is in no wise finished. Until it is finished the best thing is to leave it with the Government.” LLOYDS’ OPINION. LONDON, Oct. 2S. On the eve of the election Lloyds’ insurance rates rose shandy to 75 guineas per cent against a clear Conservative majority, and five guineas per cent against a clear Labour majority. The results in 224 constituencies will be declared on Wednesdav night, and of these 150 are English boroughs. These results will be sufficient to give a fair indication of the final result.