LABOUR'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS CHINA.

North Otago Times, Volume CVII, Issue 17165, 23 March 1927, Page 4

LABOUR'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS CHINA.

: The Independent Labour Party is responsible for the "Hands Off Ghina Movement,^ which has given to the Labour Parties in New Zealand and Australia the key to the policies they have adopted. That movement is supported by the "Britisli Council for Chinese Freedom," the executive of which con^ists largely of Commnmsts, inciuding Afr G. Lansbury, M.P. It was responsible for the messages of sympathy and encouragement sent l^o Mr Eugene Chen and the Chinese workers, entirely ignoring the fact vhat the Chinese are engaged in a; levastating civil war which is actively promoted by the allies of ihe Labour movement at Moscow;, ".nd that i*ival armies are traversing ihe country; looting and murdering helpless Chinese peasants, while even at the treaty ports the conditions of the Chinese workers have been hard hit by the Borodins, ! workirig under directions from Mos- ; cow. Thif; new diplomacy appears ! to justify the description given of ' it by R. Mitchell Banks, Q.C., in the | House of Commons on Wednesday. | when he said: "Labour's argument | in every dispute with a foreign ! Power was that Britain was always in the wrong, and wben a dispute arose between y two groups of foreigners Labour backed those most hostile to Britain. It is an entirely new thing in the history of the Empire that any partj'', in opposition to the Government of the day, should take upon itself to interfere between that Government and foreign Governments in the waY that the British Labour Party has done, by tacitly encouraging the Chines'e in the attempts they are making, under stimulus from Moscow to drive the British outl of the treaty ports and concessions. ( It is still more regrettable that the Australian and New Zealand Labour Parties have signified their approval of the British Labour Party's action in that respect, and to know that there ..is aoparently no way of dealing with those responsible for such mischievous doings, although in practice they appear to be actually treasonable. It is bad enough to know that the agents of the Soviet have been at work, and are still carrying on tlaeir suhversive activities without matters being made worse by the tacit encouragement given by men of our own country to th»e aghntion thus carried on. Such actio^ ~Mthev conducive to peace - 'ood will. I presents the sr • of a people clivided amoiigst .cmsehnes, and enables Mr Chen to play with the uosition, in the belief that British Labour will be able to keep tbe British Government in check, and so help him in carrying out. his designs. Tlie situation is without parallel in British history and reftects anything but credit upon the men in charge of the British Labour movement.