Mr Bodkin on Communism

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 81, 22 April 1937, Page 7

Mr Bodkin on Communism

4 ' INTEE JECTION. ' '

(To the Editor.) Bir,— Mr Bodkin at Waipukurau made some mdst extraordinary and intentionally alarming statements about the identity of the ultimate aims of the Labour Government With thos# Of C,ommtinism.' Th# "bogey" of Gommunism, particularly to the genefally illinformed and father Fascist-inclined small sheep-farmer, is an effectivo weapon when wielded by the Cunning hands of a political exponent such as Mr Bodkin is well known to be by those who know bim best. Of Course, actually the Libouf aims and Communism hav# only ofie item in eommon, and even then th# m#thod of obtaining it is very diffefent* TMs is ' ' ecOnomic security for ali from the cfadle to the gfaye," Anyone Who has toad# even th# briefest study of ComniUniSin kixoWS that this is Only. one teftdt of its cteed. Dialeetical materiaiiem, on the Mark-LeniMat pMiosophy (Of which pfobabiy Mf Bodkin has Uev#f heafd, #nd ev#n if h# Bad, Would haVe* fotind the utmost diMettlty in undefstanding) is fuUdamental t# EusSiafi ComihUmSm, And to attefnpt to coiapare One item such as eCdnomic #e#Urity withOtit referende to ihe Whole ig ridiculous* Dabour aims at economic security and planS to atrive" at it through constitutidnai mCasurOs and only With th# consent and co'-operation of the people. To guarante# t|is Security it is naturally nee'essaiy to zestrict the Eberty of the mofe pfedatofy of mankind, of, ifi Other words, tO soften down the wolfish nfetuf# of an economy whefe '' avery man is a wolf to1 Ms f#110WS.'# To resent this restrietion so strongly is actually self-acettsatory, and is an admission of the ruthless and seif-seeking rSOtives of the upholders of an extreine capitalistic or "private enterprise" order of society. In all other spheres,- religious, oultural, social (in th# nafrow sense), philosophical and so on, Labour aims at complete freedom. Contrast this with Communism under which all tMuking, all activity must be within the frameWOrk of ihe Mar^-Leninist philosophy. To sngg#9t that Mr Savage, Mr Nash (a very good Angliean), Mr Fraser (a very good Presbyterian) and other members of the Labour Government hav# Communism as an' ultimate aim, xs an insult to the intelligenee of any but m most . biassed and prejndiced. audienee. Mr Bodkin evidently extends his condemnation of Mr Nash's ideal of "prodnction for use rather than for profit" to th# inteliectual sphero, and would produce statements rather for political gain than with any idea Of sorving the Caus# of Trnth. — ^Yours, ete.,

Waipukurau, Apfil 21, 1937-