BOLSHEVISM AND WOMANHOOD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3569, 30 November 1926, Page 4

BOLSHEVISM AND WOMANHOOD.

A MENACE TO FAMILY LIFE. In Soviet Russia there is a population of 133 millions, of whom 70 millions are women. For this reason, if for no other, the women of New Zealand should be interested in knowing how the policy of Bolshevism is affecting womanhood. What are the marriage laws, provisions for divorce and general position affecting family life? The following recent cable from Moscow has appeared in the Press of our country:— “The Soviet Legislature has endorsed the marriage proposals of the Government. Marriage now will only involve the trouble of going to the Commissariat to record marital relations, which will require an identity card costing a few pence. Peojfle may live in or out of wedlock as frequently as they please. There will be no illegitimacy, the new code says, unless cohabitation is accidental or merely temporary.” We are told that “the strongest opposition came from the delegates representing the peasantry. One declared that it was simply a measure to legalise polygamy.” Is there any truth behind these messages? We will turn to anothr source of information than the cables. BRITISH LABOUR. REPORT.

The report of the British Labour Delegation that visited Russia and which, in general, aims at defending the Bolshevist regimal, has the following to say respecting the subject with which we are dealing: “The code of civil status, section 11, concerns marriage. Only civil marriage is recognised. A religious marriage has no civil validity.” On divorce it says: “A divorce can be obtained by mutual consent from the competent marriage registrar. Application need not be based on a charge of any kind.” In another part, it says: “An illicit or unregistered marriage is rendered unnecessary by the facilities given to divorce which can be obtained at once by mutual consent.” Still further on it reads: —

“This new outlook on the social and family side of a nation’s life, bound up as it is with the whole economic system, is undoubtedly tending to destroy what is known in this country as family life. There will be small possibility of laying the foundation of a great and famous family. - The units will scatter and often forget from whence they came. But thisl new conception does not necessarily mean any increase in immorality, profligacy, and license.”

There, then, is the view not of enemies oil the Soviet State, but from those who are friendly towards Bolshevism. They tell us it is not tending to destroy family life and then they plead that this “does not necessarily mean any increase in immorality, profligacy and license.” We are quite sure the women of New Zealand will take another view of the matter. There are women in Russia who condemn the Soviet marriage law as being an encouragement of licentiousness. One such, writing to the Russina paper “Pravda,” says: “Marriage, the men wish to sign on at one table, and sign off at another.”

THE RED INTERNATIONAL. To understand what Bolshevism is, you must know what the Red International teaches, for that is its source and foundation. Here is its statement of objecs affecting family life. “To emancipate women from the yoke of the family, maternity, religion and bourgeons morality.” The Soviet Government has legalised the practice of abortion. This is how it; sets about emancipating women from the yoke of maternity. Lenin declared “that alone is moral which is for the advancement of the Communist Party.” As an outcome of this false morality, children are taught to hate their parents, and to hate other children, if they are not communists.

An English Socialist recently declared that Russia is the most free country in the world and then added that, it is over-run with child vagrancy. It is certainly most free in licentiousness and crime. Child vagrancy and disease is rampant because family life is being destroyed and women degraded. The women of New Zealand will be well advised when they hear anyone expressing sympathy with Bolshevism to turn from them in scorn. Bolshevism is, ajiove all the. enemy of wo-man-hood and clean living on the part of men.

(Contributed by the N.Z. Welfare League).