The Daily News. TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 1920. THE COUNCIL OF ACTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 August 1920, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 1920. THE COUNCIL OF ACTION.

The evolution of extreme Labor towards revolution ean no longer be in doubt. By instituting a Council of Action the machinery has been provided to bring direct pressure to bear on national government, thus relying on coercion to obtain Labor 's demands. This is no new method, but its latest phase emphasises in no uncertain manner whither the extremists are tending. The demand that the British Government should recognise the Soviet Government of Russia and establish unrestricted trade relations with Russia is a direct attempt to usurp the functions of government, just as the demand for absolute guarantees that in no contingency will Britain's armed forces support General Wrangel, may be taken as evidence that the Council of Action and the Red terrorists of Russia have a common aim. Although an effort has been made by the extremists to explain that all they required was that there should be no war against the Bolsheviks on Britain's part, the gravamen of the charge against the Council rests on the usurpation of British constitutional powers. A challenge of this nature cannot be ignored without endangering law, order, and good government. It is worthy of note that even America is determinedly fighting against recognition of Soviet government, and that Prance has expelled two British direct actionists on their arrival at Paris to confer with French extremists. Both these nations are great Republics, and might be expected to have some sympathy with the Bolsheviks, but they draw the line at the Reds of Russia. The development of Labor's direct action policy is a menace to civilisation, and an incentive to stimulate revolutionary action. Lenin and Trotsky have proclaimed their intention to Bolshevise Europe. They are certainly doing their utmost in that direction. The Bolshevik armies operating against Poland have been supplied with propaganda for distribution among the workers of Poland and Germany urging them to rise against the bourgeoisie, and leading them to believe that Britain and Prance are seething with revolution, while in Ireland, the Sinn Fein leaders Jfave not been slow to learn that they may hope for co-operation from the Council of Action. If the action of that Council has any real meaning it can only be translated as furthering Soviet designs—the elimination of the Poles as a nation and the incorporation of Poland with Russia. The Council's recent manifesto, shorn of its bombast, is a plain attempt to dictate the policy that the British Government should pursue, and as there can only be one Government at a time in Britain, the question is whether it shall be a sane or a revolutionary Government. There can be no doubt as to the reply. That extreme Labor favors revolutionary methods has been fully demonstrated, even in New Zealand. If Labor can be determined so can the rest of the community, but the remarkable anomaly is that while the extremists are threatening direct action in the interests of peace, they are constantly stirring up strife. "The country will not be lulled into a false sense of security," states the manifesto. Could anything from such a source be more Gilbertian? What the country urgently needs is a real sense of security, but that is just what it cannot obtain so long as the Council of Action, and those whom it rep-' resents, persistently endeavor to undermine the basis of all security. and promote anarchy. It is a pitiful spectacle, not without an element of comedy, yet fraught with possibilities far too serious to trifle with. The lust of power has been responsible for many horrors, and extreme Labor will rue the day when it abuses its power and rouses the sane elements of the community to reluctant retaliation.