LABOR AND WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 December 1922, Page 6

LABOR AND WAR.

EXPOSING THE “REDS.” Tn the course of a speech in Wellington the other day. Mr. A. B. Sievwright, Liberal Labor candidate for "Wellington Central, took off the gloves and waded into extreme Labor. He said: “It is rather amusing to hear the so-called Labor in this country flattering themselves that they are similar in thought and purpose to the leaders of the Labor Party in Great Britain. What did these so-called Labor leaders in New Zealand do for us in the war? Some of them who were fit and well refused to obey the call, while others protested against reinforcements being sent to help the fellow* already over there. But the great hulk of the working men in New Zealand were faithful to their country and to the Empire, and thousands of them gave their lives that we inisrhf live in peace and security. I honor these men. T honor tho women in this country who bore their sacrifices with pronpr pride. But the so-called leaders of Labor in New Zealand would have gloried in the defeat of our Empire, and even went so far as to sav our flag was as good as another to live under. Now for the contrast. Honorable Ramsav Macdonald did not, like the genesis of the war and said so. hut when it was unoti he kept the peace and worked like a Troian for it* suceeakful issue, ’fokp the Hon. J. R. Clynes, an pm input Labor loader, who is movino” the Address-in-Replv in the House of Common* against the Tory Government. Wha* did he do in the war? Ho hecame a of the Crown in the Coalition Miniatrv and succeeded Txwd Rhondda in the Ministry of Food. Take Ron Tillett, who was in this country some years ago. When the war broke nut he was secre-. tary of the General Workers’ Union o r Great Britain and secretarv of tho .Dock Wharf and Riverside TTn’on also. What did he do in the war? TTp visited the trenches, encouraged the men. and went hack to deliver reeru’tinc speeches all over Great Britain. Toko another Labor leader, the Hon. Arthur Henderson. Ho was the fir c t Labor member to attain Cabinet rank in tlm Coalition Government. Ho was elected chairman of the Labor Committee on the outbreak of the war. and lie too cooperated with the Parliamentary Recruiting Committee and did his utmost tn win the war. These are samples of the T.ahor Partv of Grant. Britain all men faithful and honorable to the Empire. Now the so-called leaders of Labor in this country want, you to believe that thev are of tho same brand oc the patriotic Labor leaders in Great. Britain. Ask yourselves which one of the so-called Labor leaders in New Zeadid what Ben Tillett did in the war? Did not some of them shirk their job? Did thev or did they not hamper recruiting? Did they want us to win the war? While so pc Labor in Great Britain. in New Zealand, and all over the .Empire fought and bled for their country. the so-called Labor loaders in New Zealand did all thev could the other way. There is only one man in the House of Commons who is the same brand a* the Revolutionary Socialist leaders in New Zealand. He sent a cablegram to h : * comrades Lenin and Trotsky about his successes.”