Berkshire Chronicle Reading 08-1920

need . 0 aTglle the
r . J H.
that t e f rm:a ion of the· lo.lblllM
and aTteady dis
"bfd
Action i a challenge to the
c n titotion of the cou try. a
ment mch we are told was r
C(,I~ed with prolonged ' cheering
r \ ealing the inister motives ~
hjnd' the new organisation.
• ...
extremi ts were Dof slow to
.
close their hand . .' Mr. Robert .
li;:,ms declared •• , I t~ you 1I01ema,.:
Iy and seriollSly that yoa are
in~nit,uy more representative" tfae.n
thp Hou se of Commo • aDd
ma}' ~ summoned to sit perman.
entl)' as a Comdrittee of NatiooaI
Safety.f. And we have" the u ·
Herald" openly ~sting
Parltament W\1l be impo em to FD'"
force it decrees. and that power
will rest henceforth in the hands of
this new junta.
In Reading itself.
tbe egregious Mr. Hodgson cOWd
last week scarcely restrain his
at 'the unexpected urn of ev~s .
H declared that no more impodaGt
step bad been taken in his ~­
tion linin the formation of
unci! of Action, and it was
that he regarded it ...s· a vJ!u.able
adjunct m bringing about t&e, .N90luhon which be and his friend
and which would. drench
.. ",<7'I"ft" in blood .
.But what view do th~ sJber.
hard-working rank and fi.le of ~
unionists take of all these bysterical
proceedings on tile part of their ~
called leaders, many of whOm have
reached their ~itions by unblu.shlnr push? DO thc;y regard "The
Red Flag" and the "Intemationale," associated as tliey are with
the
tenet
and
praetie~ of
Bolshevism, a. the fit expres.
of
their
sentiments?
ordinary -. member of the
trade union is now regarded
a negligible fa.etor; his rights aTe
being filched £rOm him. Formerly
he had some voice in saying
whether or not tbere shollld be a
s tnke .
ow this »>Wer is 'taken
from hiro. and vested in the h¥xis
of people who nave no proper mandate for any lienOR ' they may take.
When 'a .. conference" takes ~Iace
no amendment ~s allowed.
Such
are the new ideas- of d~ocrac.y
and Ilberty b~ed ' on the famous
Russian model. From - tbe point of
VIC::W of 'the Socialist pOlitiCIans the
course they a.re taking is unwise.
Suppose they are caned Some day
to take up the reins of Go emment
i: will ~ very r~y for an .<iggrieved
section of the community to set up
d rival Council of' Action. and- discredit the Government in the eyes
01 the people.
The Smillie and
tM Williams's, may fancy that. ~ey
are very cleveT, but their .taeoes
will recoil 00 tbeir o.wn heads.
The only hope -is that the rapk' and
file will realise. how . seriously thei!
own liberties. not only as CJtizens,
but as trade .unionists, are being
assailed. and insist that they shall
!y. masters in their own household,
and not me~e tpols in
ands of
a few revolutionary dic.tat 5, who
ar" endeavouring to use them 'as
pawns in th~ game.
; The publication of the secret Soviet
messages clearly iiidicates 'tbe way
it; which
the Bo~she ..":jst . ~ovem­
ment IS endeavourmg to IDterfere
lJl English 'aff airs.
The message
July 11th from M. ·Litvinoff.
formerly Bolshevist " Ambassad r"
u London. to M. Chicherin, ' who
holds the p<'lsition of Foreign Mi stIr to the Rltssian Sovie Gove'rrll.
ment. states:If we do not ' support the
, "Daily fIera14." which is now
passing through a fresh crisis,
paper will ru.V(! to tum t> 'pt "
trade union .
•
In Russian qllestion - it acts as
If It were our organ.
After
Lansbury's journey it lias «
considerably
more.
to
ilie
" Left," and dec,idedly advocates
"duect action." It needs 50,
francs for. six' moqths; th~ it
hopes agam to be on firm greend.
I consider work of :' DaiJ
Herald OJ as especially imponan t
. for us. I advi ~ tberefore that
this help be afforded frOJ» f
of (? Commissary) (or F
Affairs. not from those of J
riationa Commission, and
be paYaQle in
era)
ments.
We al~ retl<J (July 22nd) , /)I ',;nst ruchon ~iniHPven.. by Lib'
that Chinese , ~ '
be
h;;nded over to tfie '~Het'ald'"
'le
Llhinoff actual~ adniita
.. Dally Herald • teJegra
spired by bjm.
Mr. Lansbury denies ~
recel\ed a sub idy from thi' ....~
frn ment. The djsa
llDl, hOlVe er, lessen the
f the English people at "'*~'-l
f the Ru . n Do ba'i
j!ard tq En~i 'J"j' politica,

as

... .

WILlY y.,' CoMlIIO To.

aid : "Sir, Ole old cl thee
r. _~ ; "TItU Mm
&117. to-4a.7
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