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Hokitika Guardian, 17 March 1926, Page 2

The revival of Communist activities in Britain appears to have taken the' form of an attempt to capture the rising generation hnd to train them, almost from infancy, for the purposes of the special kind of Socialism that the Communists profess. Apparently boys and girls twelve years old are to be encouraged to bind themselves by solemn pledges to the movement, and

to undertake “school strikes” so as to bring pressure to bear upon the public authorities when any industrial crisis arises. No doubt this movement has not yet attained large dimensions, hut that is no sound reason for ignoring it. In the Soviet Hepulilic the education system is subordinated who], ly to the one great object ot inculcating Communist principles upon the young and training them tor the purposes of the class war and the establishment Of the proletarian dictatorship; and the degree of success already attained in that direction is said to be highly satisfactory to the Bolshevik hierarchs. Happily (says the Auckland Star) there are indications in British countries that effective opposition to the extremists is already developing in the ranks of Labour itself. In Britain the political prospects of the Communist party are certainly less favourable than they were two or three years ago, and the vigorous stand made against Bolshevik principles and practices by the recognised Labour leaders has produced a salutary effect. Itt this country, too, we arc glad to observe the same tendency is manifesting itself, even in such an unlikely quarter as 'the columns of the "X.Z. Worker. We have to thank the Welfare League for reference to certain passages in the Worker in which that organ scathingly condemns the insincerity of the Communists, declare that it is' impossible to work with men whose duet object is •‘disunity,’ and assails them vigorously for their denial of freedom of speech to their opponents. “AY hat they want, ’ said the Worker recently, “is not free speech, but just sufficient of_ it for themselves to build up an opinion that will support them in denying it to people -who differ from them.” 1 his is a terse but perfectly accurate way 01 putting the case against the Communists. Their principles are class-scllish-liess glorified, and their practices are wholly despotic and tyrannical; and when' once the workers as a body realise these truths, the Bolshevik menaco will vanish into thin ail.