OVERWHELMING VOTE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 January 1941, Page 6

OVERWHELMING VOTE

SUPPRESSION OF “DAILY WORKER" — i VIEWS IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. COMMUNIST PROFESSION [1- & PRACTICE. ig ~ (British Official Wirek- 1 t Received This Dav. 11.55 a.m.» d RUGBY. January 28. ; Before rising the House of Commons carried, by 323 votes to 6, . amendments giving approval of the I action of Mr Herbert Morrison, in ~ suppressing the "Daily Worker" XI and the House amended the motion. | Supporters of the original motion.’ j. | which expressed detestation of thei ’! propaganda of the "Daily Worker" but: i regretted that the Government had | ■ chosen to suppress it under the De--1 I fence Regulations rather than prosecute it. urged that, in taking action TH against the newspaper under one of j regulations which had been justified . I on the sole grounds that they might ' be needed in circumstances of direct 113 1 peril arising out of invasion. Mr-Mor-c *’ rison was creating an undesirable precedent which might undermine confidence in the freedom of the Press. It was also argued that the suppression j might have a dangerous result in - forcing into furtive and clandestine 3 channels the dissemination of the d views published in the "Daily Worker," which.. in that way, might cause greater dissatisfaction than if treated with the contempt they deserved. In moving the amendment, which was carried, Nir Leo Smith (Lab.. Keighley) said he approved of the action of Mr Morrison on the simple. i instinctive ground that he believed I the object of the "Daily Worker" was I to slow down the country’s war production. He was supported by Sir , Percy Harris, for the Liberals, who stressed the need for care in the use of emergency powers, which must disappear immediately the war ended. The only defenders which -the I "Daily Worker” itself ♦found in the} * House were a single Communist mem- ’ her. Mr Gallacher BV. Fife* and a | Labour member. Mr D. N. Pritt iN. ’■ i'Hammersmith ). Mr Morrison was cheered when he : " j declared: "The Communist Parly is I j the last party on earth to claim the! - privileges of Democratic rights. They j odo not believe in Democracy. Mr r Gallacher, as a Communist, cannot believe in Democracy as for him and his} political friends it is the outworn ' political creed of the nineteenth cen- | tury and it. is sheer nonsense, sheer; hypocrisy, for the Communist Party i io talk of tile right:; of democracy and ' < demand judicial processes" i - ■