SANG "RED FLAG"

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 523, 5 May 1933, Page 5

SANG "RED FLAG"

(Press Assn.-

REV. J. K. ARCHER SAYS IDEA OF SONG IS POPULARLY MISUNDERSTOOD "IGNORANCE AND PREJUDICE"

-By Telegraph — Copyright).

Christchurch, Thursday. Many people in the crowd standing / in front. of the municipal election display board were surprised to se'e the f'Rev. J. K. Archer, who was deputy- | Mayor in the last City Council, join in singing "The Red Flag"" as he I stood above the portieo of the muniI cipal chambers. j The song was begun by a small ( group among the crowd after Mr. j Archer had thahked the electors for J-again returning him at the top* of [ the poll. As the volume of singing j swelled, -Mr. Archer waved his handVkerchief, beating the time, and after .'a little he joined.in the singing. I "Of course I sang the song," was {'Mr. Archer's emphatic reply when questioned by a reporter later. "As j a matter of fact, there is no song so / misunderstood as 'The Red Flag.' [■•The average man regards it as revolutionary in the sense that it savj'ours of slaughter and Bolshevism. On the contrary, the idea permeating the song ,is that of self-sacrifice, even to the point of martyrdom. Were it not for its association with groups of people of destruetive tendencies, 'The Red Flag' would be (as much admired as some of our .great Christian hymns. It is a pity people do not substitute knowledge of the song for ignorance and prejudice." Mr. Archer said he regarded "The Red Flag" as a most wonderful song. Most of its critics had n-ever seen it in print. It was not the first occasion on which he had sung it publicly.