"FRIENDS OF SOVIET"

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 232, 23 May 1932, Page 8

"FRIENDS OF SOVIET"

COMMUNISTS' AIMS WELLINGTON COURT DISCUSSES LEGAL AND OTHER ASPECTS. IMPLICATION IN NAME. In a Wellington police court case I this week, counsel for accus'ed and Detective H. Waterson spent a good deal I of time in dicussing the Communist Party and an organisation referred to . as the Friends of the Soviet Union. Detective Waterson took a very different view from that of counsel regarding the aims and objects of the Communist Party in New Zealand. He related an occurrence which, as it seemed to him, pointed to the Communists being "vsry much concerned in the troubles of the other night." The subject arose at a stage in the case when Sub-Inspector Ward learned from Detective Waterson, in the witness box, that a defendant had been found to have in his possession a card of membership with the Friends of the Soviet Union. The charge against the defendant was one of inciting lawlessness, and his counsel objected as soon as the evidence relating to tbe membership card had been given. Idle Rumour. Counsel suggested that it would be wrong for any court to take note of idle rumour in connection with the existence of a political party. There was no proof, he said, that the Communist Party in New Zealand had advocated violence as a matter of law and it was a fact that no member of the Communist Party had until very recently been convicted of any offence against law and order. Counsel had been informed by one of the leaders of the party that they had strongly deprecated violence of any kind in connection with the present unemployment troubles. It was dangerous ground for any court to accept or take judicial note of anything that was in the nature of a political policy. Counsel sought to illustrate this by quoting extensively from a noted ap~ peal case which occurred in England during the World War. The utmost reluctanc© had been shown by the courts in accepting any matter of notoriety sufficient to dispose of the presumption that a prisoner was innocent until he was proven guilty. If a court was to take up the position that intent was to be implied or presumed because a prisoner was a Communist, or — to go as far as the police went — merely one who attended Communist meetings, counsel thought it unjustified. It conflicted entirely, in his view, with British constitution and practice. It would be better, ■ counsel said, if the police could find it possible to keep the question of Communist membership or sympathies out of the precincts of the court. Magistrate's Yiew. The magistrate, Mr. E. Page, said that his view could be expressed within a very short CQmpass. If it was a fact that the present defendant or any other defendant belonged to a local organisation, either to the Communists, or, as it was suggested in the present case, to the Friends of the Soviet Union, and if it was a fact that it was the policy of such organisations to advocate disorders and lawlessness, then, in the magistrate's opinion, if those facts could he proved, they were relevant to the question of intent. Counsel asked whether that would not mean that' the intent of a person associated with the Communist Party was more or less presumed. It lay upon the police, he thought, to prove that accused belonged to a local organisation and to prove, if it was a fact, that that organisation as part of its policy advocated disorder and lawlessness. Counsel proceeded to cross-examine Detective Waterson, the principal police witness. The principles of the Communist Party, Detective Waterson said, were to look for trouble and disorder, and if there were no trouble and disorder, to make them. The party's ultimate object was the overthrow of the present Government, or system of government. "I've heard that announced from the public platform in Blair Street," witness said. He explained to counsel his idea of the constitution and aims of the Friends of the Soviet Union. The organisation was one and the same thing as the Communist Party. At this point defendant appeared considerably amused. Counsel gave the court to understand that the Communist Party and the Friends of the Soviet Union were distinet bodies. "Are you aware," he asked witness, "that there are many intellectual men in New Zealand, lawyers, professors in universities, ministers of religion, and some of our highest citizens, who are friends of Soviet Russia? "Wouldn't be Surprxsed." "I would not be surprised to hear that," witness said. Detective Waterson denied completely that the police or detectives had vat any time been given orders to get hold of the Communists as soon as possible. In support of his view of the aims and activities of the party. Detective Waterson recounted what he

had seen on Wednesday evening last. A number of people in threes and fours walked down to the Communist Hall. Someone looked them over from a window before they were admitted. Apparently only those who were known were allowed into the hall. They spent about half an hour inside and came out, again in threes and fours. Some of them were found to have offensive weapons. "It seems to me," Detective Waterson said, "that that points to the Communists being very much concerned in the troubles of the other night." He maintained that the Communist Party and the Friends of the Soviet Union had a good deal in common. He had several times seen a woman named Myrtle Jones, a Communist, at the headquarters of the Friends of Soviet Russia. The cross-examination strayed again, as it had done once or twice previously, to Russian history and the "road to Moscow." Detective Waterson accepted counsel's assurance that there had been two revolutions in Russia, both bloodless. Far Removed, Magistrate Suggests. • "The number of revolutions in Russia," the magistrate observed, "seems very far removed from a charge of inciting lawlessness in Wellington,

the Soviet Ufiion was the name of an organisation aiming to break down the animosity that existed in many countries towards Russia. "I'm afraid it's more than that, ' said Detective Waterson. "One of the objects of the Friends of Soviet Russia is to prevent . war with Russia." - "That's some of the claptrap 'you've had pumped into you by the Welfare League," said counsel. "I've never read anything about the Welfare League," said witness. "Well,.don't you do it," said counsel. The cross-examination then returned tb questions conneeted with details of the charge before the court.