THE POWER BEHIND THE STRIKE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2944, 3 October 1925, Page 4

THE POWER BEHIND THE STRIKE.

SOMETHING TO THINK OF

People in New Zealand both in town and country have taken the overseas shipping strike very casually, and many have been heard to say, “Thank heavens it occurred in the slack season” —They fail to realise two facts, first that it will disorganise the shipping for the next season and hamper the export of produce on which this country depends, and secondly that the whole business is part of the “Red” campaign to disorganise the industry and trade which is most vital to the empire. MINORITY MOV EM ENT.

Behind this strike is the Minority Movement, which is so dangerous and has spread so quickly that responsible men should realise what it means.

Convened by the British Bureau of the Red International a conference took place in August 1924 at which 33 Trade Union organisations were represented. The promoters of the scheme were all in close touch with Moscow, namely Tom Mann, Pollitt, Macanus, Purcell, and Gallachcr. The last three being actually members of the Third Intentional Executive (Moscow). Associated with these renegades were Cook, the Miners’ secretary who calls himself a “humble follower of Lenin” and J. R. Campbell the man who Ramsay McDonald was afraid to prosecute for inciting mutiny in our Army and Navy. Several “fraternal delegates” from Russia were present and ample evidence exists that the whole movement was originally inspired and largely financed from Moscow.

WHAT ARE ITS OBJECTIVES? Here are their own words: — “To unify the whole trade Union Movement —to stop class peace and class collaboration —to make workers organisations fighting battalions.

Tom Mann, the President said (inter alia). “That.it was not intended to break up Trade Unionism but it is intended to teach them that the object of their existence was to gain complete control of industry by those employed' —not to limit their vision to questions of wages and hours —The capitalist system must go —They stood tor militancy —They would carry out their objectives peacefully if possible but peacefully or otherwise the job had got to be done. Pollitt said: “the Unions must prepare for the overthrow of capitalism —must be transformed from benefit' societies into militant os guns o! the class struggle.” In other words to change Trade Unionism as we know it into revolutionary organisation for communist purposes.

The above is a mere outline of the first conference. Hemlqiiai let's were established at Manchester, as the best industrial centre. Emissaries go from a training centre into other districts. Foreign communist agents are actively employed. Ihe unemployed are organised and no less than 75,00 U had joined by the end of 1924 who paid an aggregate sum of £3OO a week which comes from the taxpayers pocket through the dole.

The latest trouble directly due to this movement is the unofficial strike of British Seamen from which we in New Zealand as every other Dominion within the Empire will suffer grave loss. Havelock Wilson, the president of the Seamen’s Union in England foresaw this in March last and wrote strongly in his paper “The Seamen” warning his Union to beware. He states definitely “The Minority Movement” is closely associated with Russia. ’ He also discloses the sinister fact that these people have clubs in some ports 1° which British Sailors aie coi(1 ia 11 \ invited. On reaching the clubs they have to give details regarding themselves, names addresses and especially their Union. All this is sent to Moscow. EMPIRE WIDE INFLUENCE. Our New Zealand Alliance of Labour has similar ideals, it is almost “on all fours” with the Minority Movement. It exists under one name or other also in Australia. There was no sort of trouble on overseas ships until they had reached our ports when it is undoubted that the local extreme leaders got hold of the crews. It was the same in Australia where \\ ulsli and Johanson, the communist leaders, openly incited this unofficial strike against the seamen’s own Executive. We have our “Walshes and Jolianson’s” here, and there is no doubt that these empire wide incidents are co-ordinated from one central command.

Tom Mann and Pollitt have shown this in the minority conference in August tliis year when they said “ our most important task is to ally ourselves with the workers in every part of the empire. This involves relentless war on the British Empire.’'' W;e are going to compel Trade Union leaders to come in with our revolutionary workers or go over to the other side. The British Empire stood for robbery, violence, tyranny and exploitation of the workers.

Remember these are English men speaking openly in, and against, their own country, and are the recognised leaders of a rapidy growing movement. Its growth is shown by the fact that in August 1924 some 200 delegates represented 200,00 members in January, 270 represented about 000,000 and the last conference,

August 1925, 000 delegates represented about 1,000,000 or nearly one quarter of the Trade Union membership in England. Since writing the above we have a speech on the coal settlement by Sir. \V. Joynson Hides, Home Secretary, confirming from high official quarters what we have said above. “ We have not got lid of this menace —of the efforts by men in close touch with Moscow to des-

troy our trade ami commerce —men who, like Cook and Purcell, glory in Hie fact that they are honorary mem hers of the Soviet of Moscow. Communists are working behind and beneath legitimate trade Unions. 1 am convinced that Zinoveil’f is using his power to ruin and destroy us. I say this to you, coining straight from the Cabinet Council —The thing is not finished. The danger is not over —This question has to be fought out by the people of the land. Is England to be governed by Parliament, or a handful of Trade Union Leaders? Contributed by the'New Zealand Welfare League.