Cuckoos in the Nest

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1068, 4 September 1930, Page 9

Cuckoos in the Nest

FREE FIGHT AT CONGRESS Communist Gate-Crashers BITING, FIGHTING, SCREAMING MELEE nmXG, lighting and screaming, a crowd of Communists u gate-crashed the Trade Union Congress at Nottingham and engaged in a melee with the delegates, and onlv ° a fter a nerce rustic engagement were they ejected. A girl slapped a steward’s face and was then removed shrieking ‘Down with the Labourites. Up Russia !”

United P.A.—By Telegraph—Copyright Reed. 10.35 a.m. LONDON, Wed. About 30 intruders at the Trade Union Congress meeting at Nottingham today interrupted the proceedings when the Home Secretary, Mr. J. R. Clynes, rose to address the meeting. The disturbances occurred in the gallery where a group of Communists, including one face-smacking female was sitting. Phis element was ejected, after which order seemed to have been restored, but when the Indian fraternal delegate declared that India would not tolerate dictation from Moscow, the Communists renewed the uproar. Congress stewards, reinforced by a score of delegates, rushed upstairs and their ensued a free fight, in which both sides gave and received black eyes and bleeding noses. I hen tile delegates stood cheering as the Communists were finally ejected. The demonstrations considerably delayed the proceedings. It was later reported that the interrupters were Communist hungermarchers who, using faked tickets gate-crashed into the gallery and turned the morning session into Bedlam. Small relays, yelling and gesticulating wildly, rose up in succession. The chairman’s bell clanged for order and delegates cried “Chuck ’em out,” while the interrupters shouted“To hell with the T.U.C.," and cried defiance to the stewards. The resulting struggles produced repeated pandemonium. The demonstrators resisted ejection, fighting, kicking and biting. One required nine persons to eject him, one of whom returned bleeding at the nose. Another’s collar was torn off and a I

third who was covering a particularly noisy Communist’s mouth, was badly bitten on the hand. There once were nine free fights simultaneously, the delegates standing up and cheering on the stewards like spectators at a boxing match, and greeting telling punches with “That’s the stuff to give ’em.” A girl interruptor whom a steward tapped on the shoulder and asked to leave, smacked his face, after which she was carried out shrieking, “Down with the Labourites. Up Russia.” 1 housands watched the Communists nuns on to the pavement, and the police prevented their rushes to regain entrance. Communists booed the delegates departing, especially the chairman. Mr mov ]’ Wh ° ordered their speedy reThe demonstrators were so threat- I emng that Mr. Clynes left the sidedoor guarded by the police. rim'T? spe ® < * Mr - Clynes said if they did not get Socialism in our time” j! 1 T c '° m Plete form they were getting T ' , a the time m one degree or another. Tf Socialists could only be made by argument and example. It was in that spirit that the Government has pursued its course and they looked to the immediate future and the remote time ahead with a knowledge that things that were to last must be things of slow growth. The Government was awaiting an opportunity to reverse the Trade DisihTTtVT’ , and , U was committed to that attitude. It was the purpose of I„ e t Pf Government to give back to the Trade Unions the freedom of which they were deprived bv the Parliamentary action of their opponents