PROPAGANDA OF SEDITION.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 September 1921, Page 12

PROPAGANDA OF SEDITION.

WHAT IS GOING ON NOW. The public has read of the law being put into operation for the suppression of the publication of seditious writings. On the one hand we have had members of the “N.Z. Labor Party” protecting that the prosecutions for sedition amount to the suppression of freedom of speech, whilst on the other side, the Acting Prime Minister (Sir Francis Bell) and others, have shown that the law is one for the protection of the public by prevention of incitement to acts of violence. The following may indicate what is aetuai.y taking place in our midst today. “HELL ON EARTH.”

We have been handed by a respectable citizen a leaflet placed under the door of his house. It is printed on. red paper, which is in keeping with the doctrine of the red-hot hatred set forth in the two pages. The composition is that of a person having a good command of language and particular skill in presenting the most poisonous and dangerous thoughts in the most seductive guise. He depicts the workers of Australia as being in want of work, food, fuel, clothing, housing, and other necessities, whilst the country is full of supplies of all kinds. Then he goes on to describe why Australia, like England, Ireland, Scotland, and other afflicted countries, “is becoming industrially and socially more a ‘hell on earth’ every day.” This supposititious state of affairs the Red propagandist ascribes to the workers, whom he represents as a spineless lot of wageslaves glorying in their hardship and suffering., INCITEM'ENT TO VIOLENCE AND THEFT. Following on the wildly exaggerated description of colonial conditions, which is directed towards instilling and rousing the passion of class hatred, there is stated the anarchistic purpose of taking what you want without consideration of any legal process. It is put thus: “The taking at any time of food where there is plenty, and the seizing of empty buildings and idle factories, are not crimes on the part of the workers and their families, who are foodless, homeless or workless. Such action is sanctioned and upheld by Nature’s own law, viz., that of self and group preservation.” Thus, with devilish cunning, the sedition-monger takes the exceptional case of the unfortunate worker who is without work, food or home. and. using such as his text, he appeals to the workers in general to just take anything they require. To seize empty buildings, idle factories, or anything else you,require is right according to this'teaching of socialism; for such he calls it.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT. Here is something to think of. There are people in our midst actively engaged in pushing into circulation this literature of sedition. “Oh!” you may say, “it is so exaggerated that it can influence no one. Wait a moment.' Is it not more likely that if such false teaching is being constantly presented to thousands of our people who are bur. slightly educated, if at all, it must have considerable effect in the demoralisation of many minds? Our people in general want freedom of discussion, but where there ?s direct incitement to crihie, calls to take what you want, without regard to cith-r moral or legal rights, surely it is well for all of us to consider whether any other titan the most drastic punishment is due to thoae indulging in these anti-social courses. It is because we realise that this most dangerous Red propaganda is much more widespread than mo-t citizens think that we expose whai is going on in our midst now. Think! (Contributed by the N.Z. Welfare League.)