THIRD INTERNATIONALE DEMANDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 December 1920, Page 10 (Supplement)

THIRD INTERNATIONALE DEMANDS.

A LESSON FOK TUB WORKERS OF NEW ZK ALAND. (Contributed by the N.Z, Welfare League.) , Amongst the Socialists "of the world to-day there are two Internationals. Tinone known as the Third International has its headquarters in Moscow, and ii distinctly Communistic in character. The other is called (lie Second International, and it relies more particularly 011 political action. Recently the latter held a conference at Geneva, and the speakers thereat spent much tinie in denouncing the Bolshevist tyranny of Russia. Some Australian Socialist and Syndicalist organisations are affiliated- with the Third International. Though we cannot find that the New Zealand Labor Party is affiliated with either of the Internationals, anyone who has read the speeches of our New Zealand Reds must have formed the opinion that their sympathies are largely attached to the Bolshevist and Communist movement of Russia, of which the' Third International is the direct manifestation.

WHAT THE BOLSHEVISTS DEMAND. As showing the extreme dictatorial demands of the Third International, we reprint the following taken from Labor papers:— In "l'Humanite" of September 2, Varine summarised the conditions laid down by the Third International for the affiliation of the French Socialist Party:—

1) The editorship of the! Party's newspapers must be in the hands of adherents to the Third International policy. (2) Similarly, the Party's executive and propagandists must be Left Wing and not Reformist.

(3) There must be no hesitation in acting against the law when circifnstanees require it.

(4 Systematic propaganda for communism must be undertaken in the trade unions, co-operatives, in the army, and among the peasants.

'5) There must be no collaboration with Reformists, whose policy will be denounced.

(0), Native races in the colonies, and all peoples oppressed by Imperialism, must be helped. 7) The International Trade Union Federation must be fought, and the Party nniat help to establish a class conscions international Trade Union movement.

. (S) Members elected to Parliament must use their position for revolutionary propaganda, and not for compromise. (0) There must be strict discipline in the party, and any members who repudiate the party's policy must be rejected. (10) In general, 'the Party must act in accordance with the programme of the Third International, although it is recognised that some of the conditions laid down are not applicable to all countries. In particular, in the special circumstances of the French party, the name "Socialist Party" may be retained. It is further asserted by Jean Longuet, of the French Socialist Party, thait "Moscow insists upon the French Party throwing over its policy of proportional representation, by whielv minorities aTe represented upon its National Executive and in its Press,

SOME FEW COMMENTS. j We invite special attention to clause (3) of the above demands. It explains much of why the Allied nations are averse to Soviet propaganda, and hesitates about recognising a Government whose members are associated with the teaching of such a treasonous and practically criminal doctrine. We invite the New Zealand Labor Party to say, if it cares to, what it thinks of the demand re proportional representation, and we will be specially pleased ift Mr. J. McCombs, M.P., will tell us if he can discover any trace of dictatorship in these demands such as he may be called upon to oppose.