MR SEMPLE AND BOLSHEVISM.

Otaki Mail, 24 February 1919, Page 4

MR SEMPLE AND BOLSHEVISM.

STRONG COMMENTS BY. THE “PRESS,” The Christchurch “Press” in an cditoral, severely criticises Mr R. Semple, M.P., as follows: “Mr R. Semple, M.P., has at least the credit of being frank and outspoken in the address which lie' delivered at the Colosseum on Saturday night. It will be seen that he expressed his sympathy with tho Bolshevist movement; and stated that were he in Russia he Would be with Lenin and Trotsky, wore ho in Ireland he would be with Sinn .Fein, were he in Germany he would be an ardent Spartacist. In other words, Mr Semple’s sympathies are with the parties of outrage and violence, and against or-' ganised government. We commend these views to the thousands of electors in Wellington Central who-did not: take the trouble to go to the poll when .Mr Semple stood for election. We,can hardly . imagine, however, that .the views he lias now expressed will meet the approval even of those who voted for him.

“Clearly New Zealand is not the place for Mr Semple. The people of this country have no sympathy whatever with the fiends in human form who butchered the late Czar and his family, and revelled in the slaughter of the Russian intellectuals and the so-called boufgeoise, ror respectable middle classes. They’ have, no sympathy with the disloyalists in Ireland’ who intrigued with our enemies during the war, and are now- secretly promoting rebellion with the object of declaring Ireland a Republic. Nor arc they at all anxious to join with the Spartaei.sts or any other gang of Germans. Mr Semple should forthwith' betake himself to one of those countries where he may be able to ally' himself with those whom he apparently regards as kindred spirits. “We will go further-than this. We believe in the right of free speech. There is practically no limit which we would impose' on criticism of the Government, of public bodies, and, indeed, of all public men. But we draw the lino at the teaching of sedition and propaganda work which tends to glorify or excuse those who are guilty of crimes against the State,, and who are avowed enemies of human society as at present constituted. The United States Government has taken, the right course'by arresting and -imprisoning or deporting the I.W.W. leaders. It will be seen by a cable .which we publishthis morning that the British Government have decided to- deport all un-. desirables-eu masse. If we have any Bolshevists of apostles of sabotage in New Zealand, they should be dealt with in exactly the same way.