HIS RED SHIRT

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2434, 27 May 1922, Page 4

HIS RED SHIRT

POSING AS ADVANCED LIBERALS. GAME OF POLITICAL HYPQCRICY. If ever a political fraud was perpetrated on the electors of any country it is certainly that which is being played bs) the Hollandite Red Party before the people of New Zealand to-day. We have the spectacle of Mr H. E. Holland, M.P., leader of the wrongly named N.Z. Labour Party preaching from end to end of the Dominion the most specious political lie ever put into circulation. Finding that is plainly Red revolutionary “Objective” and policies of “Councils of Action,” class dictatorship and ultimate Communist control of the Dominion are not acceptable the party ruled by Mr H. E. Holland adopts the tactics of posing,as just advanced liberals. This is the method advised by the,Russian Soviet dictators. To gain control over the masses by professing anything that is suitable for the .time and when power is secured then, to'enforce the Communists programme against all opposition. Speaking at Wellington Mr, Holland said’“Ballanee and Seddon had laid broad and strong the foundations on which a truly democratic state ; eould be built up” and then with characteristic impudence he claims that his party is “the/ only party that could and would build an industrial democracy on the foundations laid by Ballanee and Seddon.” How is this party proceeding? It comes along with a pack on its shoulder and, without having the decency to change its red shirt for another colour, it sets to work towards destroying these foundations which it shamelessly praises at the same time.

Both Ballanee and Seddon were Nationalists and, Imperialists 'who, wfth other statesmen of other parties, laid the foundation of an intense regard for the unity of the British Empire. . Now we have a body of political charlatans, imbued with aspirations of vacuous internationalism,,, standing,; forth as a party that, cares absolutely nothing for defence of the Empire and, yet, professing to be political descendants of Ballanee andtSeddon. At one time this: party had a plank in its platform declaring for a Citizen Army on the voluntary -basis, but even that they deleted as being too much of a concession to National Defence.

In view of the coming election we have the Red leader covering his red shirt of revolutionary with a cloak o£professed liberalism, which profession is neither new nor true. As little as possible is said of the party’s objective, the “socialisation of the means of produc-. tion, distribution and exchange.” The public are not informed of Mr Holland’s having but-recently taken part in a congress in Australia with some of the most out-and-out Communists; or of his having returned to New Zealand with a. programme for nationalising of all the principal industries; the establishment of a Council of Action (of which he is a member); the election of a Supreme Economic Council and other revolutionary proposals which led even the Socialistic Premier of Queensland ; (Mr Theodore) to exclaim “You might as well change the name of your party and call it the Communist party.” Instead of this actual revolutionary movement of Mr Holland and his party being placed before the electors, m a dozen different speeches, Mr Holland asks the people, in effect, to regard his party as the new liberals. He is stressing the point that this party stands for proportional representation. Let us look at-.this twicer When the liberals support proportional representation they .do so honestly on the principle that liberalism is the creed that advances the rights of citizens as individual members of society. This party, however, over which Mr Holland presides, repudiates the foundation principle of individualism. Its profession of being one with the liberals of old is an utter sham because whilst these stood for individualism this Red Party stands for collectivism. The Holilandites do not want proportional ■representation .by itself; what they are after is proportional representation plus the power of a class political machine. This would ensure [that whilst the general body of electors would split into petty groups their class party would' dominate the country and effect their real •purpose of establishing a - collectivist state under a class dictatorship. The people must be blind indeed 'if they cannot realise what this revolutionary party means. Tt is a political fraud which professes moderation and practises extremism; poses as liberal .and destroys the foundations; of iall liberalism, personal liberty;'presents an appearance of democracy to cover the real intention of class dictatorship, and takes the. name, of Labour whilst promulgating false economics which are injuring.the-working masses in ■their living and their exercise of free judgement. We oppose the Red Party' because of its absolute political dishonesty. Its- professions areffraudulenband therefore should not) be jaccepted, by the WelfarevLeague:'