PRO-GERMAN ELEMENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1632, 2 November 1916, Page 4

PRO-GERMAN ELEMENT.

MR. HUGHES’ INDICTMENT

SEDITION AND REBELLION

A powerful indictment of a certain element in Australia was recently made by the Prime Minister, Mr. W. M. Hughes, in a speech at, Ballarat. His remarks were frequently interrupted by cheers from bis audience.

Mr Hughes said that fears regarding the effect of compulsion Avere being excited by designing men who do not avow their real motives. People are being urged to take the path of national dishonour, and to disregard the sacred obligetions avc oAve to the men at the front and to Australia. These men must not be allowed to pose as lovers of Australia. No man can serve two masters; no man can be a friend of Australia avlio is an enemy of Britain. Nmv the Empire is lighting for its life, let those against, it go into one camp and those for it into another.

These men have nothing in common save a common hatred of Britain. Tliere is in this country a number of wild irreconcileables, whose number is insignificant, but whose iniiuenee is out of proportion to their number. Many of these are in an organisation called the Industrial Workers of the World. The name is the only thing that makes them akin to industry. Their aim cannot in its entirety be avoided. Their avowed weapon is the general strike. They attempted recently to use it against the community. The result, as you know, was a miserable fiasco, hut it was intended to bring all industry throughout the Commonwealth to a standstill, prevent the coaling and despatch of troopships, and create a condition under which they hope to be able to bring about something like civil war in our midst. Happily, I say, for the welfare of the Commonwealth and of genuine unionism, this vile attempt failed. But the I.W.W. aud some other organisations do not stop at such tactics, but go much further. They not only preach but practice sabotage; that is to say, the wilful destruction of factories, machinery, and plant,

Titov are to a man aut i-conserip-(ionists. These men have perverted industrial and political unionism lu their own base purposes. I hope that (he workers will arise while there is yet time and put these men out. They are all anarchists and enemies of society. 1 invite those with whom I have been associated for 20 vears to consider what coinpan v they keep. If is such men as these who are responsible for such vile slanders as are circulated. Men and women of Herman origin arc responsible for some of (he statements made, tdo not blame them. The call of the blood has come, and (hey nre for Hermany for exactly the same reasons as we are for Britain. They nre against the Government proposals for the same reason as every patriotic Australian is for them. But it is not only the call of the blood that we have to deal with. We have learned how Herman agents and money have been busy in stirring up sedition and rebellion. They have been busy in India, where their efforts had some measure of success. They were within u hair’s breadth of success in South Africa. We have seen what they ’have done more recently in Ireland. .Every Herman in Australia, wilh a lew negligible exceptions, is against these proposals. Will Australians lake a stand on Hie same line as Hie Hermans :'