PLAYING WITH REVOLUTION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2670, 11 December 1923, Page 4

PLAYING WITH REVOLUTION.

SOME AUSTRALIAN EXAMPLES. It is impossible to shut our eyes to the fact that throughout the British Empire there are many Labour leaders who are playing with the idea of revolution. They are to be found in every part of the Empire. Some declare for Bolshevism right out —they “go the whole hog,” swallowing the beast, tail, and all. Others take it rather in the form of rashers, but it is the same hog of revolution although garnished with false trimmings of democratic, humanitarian and constitutional professions. Here are some examples ,pf the yes-no attitude adopted towards communism in Australia, though, to be fair, let us say that much the same sort of thing obtains in New Zealand.

“R..J.C.” in the “Australian Worker’s” leading article of 24th October, 1923, wrote:—“For the Communists make no pretence of hiding or disguising the fact that they are believers in Leninism- —that more or less methodical madness which did more than the Germans to convert Russia into a condition of chaos and calamity.” “What this Leninism means can be comprehended by studying what Lenin himself wrote in his book: “Left Communism.” In one of his chapters Lenin says : —‘lt is necessary to go to the whole length of any sacrifice, if needed, to resort to strategy and adroitness, illegal proceedings, reticence and subterfuge —to anything in order to penetrate into the Trade Unions (or Labour Party), to remain in them, at any cost, to carry on Communistic work in them.’ “And it was such tactics, hellishly hatched far away in another land, and devilishly developed to the detriment and practically the economic destruction of that country —Russia—that the Communists here in N.S.W. are cunningly determined to pursue.” RUSSIAN REVOLUTION CELEBRATION. On Wednesday, 24th October, of 1923, the Brisbane Trades and Labour Council decided —after calling upon Mr Theodore to explain why he had not carried out the resolutions of the Emu Park Labour Convention —to associate itself with a celebration of the anniversary of the Russian revolution. The official report of the Labour daily, “The Standard,” (Brisbane), is as follows “A communication Avas received from the secretary of the Communist party, Brisbane, inviting the Council to appoint a delegate to act on the committee formed to celebrate the sixth anniversary of the Russian revolution. For six years the workers of Soviet Russia had maintained their Avorkers’ Government against all forms of opposition. They were pointing the Avay to the Avorkers of the world, and the workers of Australia should join Avitli Avorkers of other countries in celebrating the most important event in the history of the working movement. “Mr Miles moved that a representative be appointed as requested. The Council Avas not. asked in this matter to recognise revolution as against reformism, but to recognise a great achievement and unparalleled victory of the working class, which was of the most, vital importance and advantage to the Avorkers of all countries. The resolution Avas adopted without further debate and Mr Miles appointed delegate.”

PEACEFUL PENETRATION. Further light upon the endeavour of Labour leaders to rob the Socialisation objective of its plain implications, Avas thrown by Mr A. C. Willis, in his capacity of General Secretary of the Australasian Miners’ Federation, at a speech on Friday, 12th October, 1923. He is reported by the Labour “Daily Standard” of 13th October, to have said: “The bringing about of socialisation by the workers is not going to be done by force —it is only going to bo achieved by peaceful penetration. When an existing order of things is overthroAvn by force, it requires even greater force to reconstruct it.” A feAv days later Mr Willis delivered another speech, this time at the Southern Cross Hall (N.S.W.). “The Argus” of October 22nd., reports him as saying:—“The socialisation at which' Labour aims,” said Mi’ Wills, “is the socialisation of the means of exploitation. There are tAvo methods of gaining the objective. One is to dispossess the present oAvners by force, Avhich though there is ethically nothing Avrong with it, does not appeal to some people as practicable. The other is to get possession by legitimate or constitutional means —by using the capitalist machine. And that is the policy of the A.L.P.”BRITISH PRIME MINISTER’S WARNING. In connection Avitli these citations from Mr Willis’s speeches, readers will act Avisely if they retain in their minds the words of the English Prime Minister (Mr BaldAvin) in his Edinburgh speech on 27th July 1923: “It matters little if the machine is going to be broken, whether it is broken by the sledge hammer of revolution or Avhether it is brought to a standstill by the crafty and insidious insertion of sand in all the gearing Avheels. What Ave have to see is that neither of those processes take place.” In New Zealand the Labour revolutionists are using “the peaceful penetration policy” with the most consumate cunning but the end in view is the same as if they advocated revolution by force. (Contributed by the N.Z. Welfare League).