SYDNEY MAY DAY

Hokitika Guardian, 21 May 1931, Page 2

SYDNEY MAY DAY

A DULL AFFAIR, PUBLIC APATHETIC. SYDNEY, May 7. Extraordinary ~ precautions were taken by the police in Sydney to keep the May Day celebrations within reasonable limits, but the apathy of the general public must have been a bitter disappointment to the Communists who had organised a “tremendous demonstration.” While the police were ready, so too was the “New Guuid,” a mysterious organisation of citizens determined to" fight the-Communists .and uphold law and order. It i., reported that the “New Guard” had established various strongholds along the route of the May .Day - procession, but as its services, were not required therp was no way of testing the reliability of those reports. The “New Guard” is credited with having still greater, ambitions, and ivliat justification there is for this belief remains to bo seen. It has already been yarned by the Government that its Interference in matters' which rightly belong to the polire and the Government will not be tolerated. Now to get back to May Day. The procession was one of the dullest affairs on record. Not more than 2X30 people took port in the march, and these included a large number of women. Actually the women were more demon-strative-than. the men, Particular attention was directed to a woman who pushed n perambulator which contained Ivor infant, The infant was supposed tb represent the Australian Soviet, Its carriage was suitably inscribed with red ' placards. A young man of distinctly foreign appearance led the processjon and he seemed proud of thfehonour. He carried a ' great scarlet ’and gold . banner, on which was inscribe^: “Russia leads, we follow.” “Fight; or, Starve,”* was the rallying call of a dozen other banners. \Vomtn w)i<> shquted references to distressed land starving bp.biefv. failed to arouse ,4py ; enthusiasm. All the best , known CqmmUnjst s were in Ah'? van of the profession, and, it. quickly became apparent” that" instead of '-' the' assembly ho jpg- a Labour dempiistratiop, as was jhffUded, it was merely a Red rally. throughout the whole ■route -persjstently. tided* to .• persuade pili'ookers to join viu, -hut on all hands they >ye,re doomed, to disappointment, *pd ’ showed their , resentment. Rick* handles and small bludgeons fashioned from! .saplings,’) were parried by most of 'the and were used mostly as supports for the banners. They could hp,ve- been ‘readily. ' put to another use had the necessity arisen. Even the singing of “The. Red Flag” was halfhearted, and the crowd which gathered in ; the Domain listened ,to the fiery .speeches"for; five .or ten -minutes, and then ran off at the first sign of an approaching storm.' •