THE CHINA MAIL, JUNE 24, 1941.
CHINA MAIL
WINDSOR HOUSE.
HOIST WITH HIS
OWN PETARD
The predicament in which Soviet Russia finds herself to-day arouses less sympathy than has been accorded to any pre- vious victim of Herr Hit- ler. There never has been a more glaring example of the utter futility of a policy of appeasement in dealing with a cold cal- culating madman like Hitler, but it is difficult to overlook the fact that Stalin has had no com- punction about profiting by Hitler's depredations in Europe and has been guilty of equally naked aggressions against Po- land, Finland and Rumania. It may be con- tended, with a certain amount of truth, that Stalin's primary interest was the strengthening of Russia's strategic position against this very thrust by Germany, but it would be easier to give expres- sion to a mood of ready forgiveness if the Kremlin had been quite frank about it, instead of seek- ing to justify its actions by the same sort of in- credulously stupid charges as were made by Herr Hitler on Sunday against the Soviet.
TH
1812
Page
A sufficient quantity
of MILK daily is
necessary for the
maintenance
health & energy
of
DONNER
UND BLITZEN TELEFUNKEN LET ME HEAR NO MORE OF
THIS
'NAPOLEON.
MUSIC HATH NO CHARMS.
Freedom And The Worker
THE protection of civil liberties
must be a vital preoccupation of a Britain which proposes to emerge from war with its demo-
has powers little short of absolute over the lives
Disinclination to forget cratic foundations uninjured. The the part that the Soviet Government
has played in Europe in and property of its citizens. How the last two years will not, has it used those powers?
of interest and importance
the
free-
to
-By-
Harold Laski
1940.
the outcome of this Committee's recommendations.
Two other classes of cases merit a word. There have been some hundreds of cases of investigation of persons by the police, resulting!! on occasion, in search of premises and examination of persons. These.} have been the outcome, in over ví, ninety per cent. of the cases, information sent to the police of
denied.
that
оп
From letters which have reach-been either bound over or fined, however, diminish the ed me from the United States it and in twelve of them the case will to assist Russia by is clear that there are some people has been dismissed by the magis-alleged offences e.g. signalling to
who have judged our position trates. every means in our power. rather in terms of the powers con- where fines have
In fourteen of the cases enemy aeroplanes, on the part of If Russia is not our ally, ferreative than in terms of
been imposed, the person investigated. The duty by Parliament on the these have, on review by the of investigation in cases of this she has been attacked by latter's exercise of them. Some in-mitted or reduced.
the Home Secretary, been either re-kind cannot, I think, be
It cannot either be denied perhaps.
there have been occasions Germany in defiance of cident, above all
Under the regulations dealing which the police have acted with suppression of the "Daily Worker" prior treaty engagements has struck their imagination, and with acts of sabotage, there have stupidity and harshness.
been four convictions, all, signi- and. a common interest they have assumed that the wur-ficantly enough, occurring in June, An important issue has just
powers of the Executive have
of the with us is established.
deprived us of the major
Two of the accused were arisen over the decision More than that, it is in doms. It seems to me, a matter sentenced to three months', impri- B.B.C. not to employ any person sonment, and two were fined, who supports the People's Con- our own direct interest analyse the use of the Emergency
Under the regulation dealing vention, the recently formed and to stiffen the Russian re- Powers by the Cabinet. Only in with power over processions and Communist-inspired organisationi sistance to
public meetings, public proces- to promote revolutionary defeat- that way can the outsider get a the German
real perspective about our situa- sions of a political character have ism. This decision has aroused. steamroller as far as lies tion.
been banned in London, (as they Wide protest already. There can have largely been since the Fascist be ho doubt that-it Is an indefen- within our capacity, to I take first freedom of the press. unrest of 1936) but not elsewhere. sible decision, utterly alien from
Here two papers, both of the utmost of
them Three meetings have been pro- the Government's own attitude to Our Communist, the "Daily Wörker"
hibited in the Whole country. those of its employces who parti- capacity. It is no time and the "Week" have been sup-
drastic regulation gives the cipated in, or have given support for recriminations
pressed. In each case the sup- Home Secretary the power to to, the Convention. Or pression has been by an executive detain persons whose conduct or This is the record as it stands so ideological calculations. act from which there is no appeal views makes it seem likely that far. Roughly, this is to say, some
I myself have Hitler's attack upon us to a Court of Law.
they may be guilty of action pre- 1,600 citizens are or have been Fegretted that the alternate judicial to the safety of the Tealth detained for various periods; some sia is but part of the regulation, which permits such an under this power, sotie 500 ser- 150 people have been fined:
appeal, was not used by the Home wider German strategy Secretary. In the debate in the sons who possess British National amounts up to fifty pounds; and which has as its final aim House of Commons on his deci-ity, but were or Italian bright, twenty-three people have been and were believed to be Ih imprisoned for periods not ex- the smashing of resis- however, he was uplfeld by sympathy with the enemy, were ceeding three months. As one to
an overwhelming majority:
Internet on the butbreak of war whom civil liberty is a matter of tance in the British Isles Under the regulatidh which with Italy. About 200 of these the deepest urgency, I canhot be- and the completion of his permits the prosecution of persons have since been released. About lieve that anyone with a sense of charged with creating alarm dha 700 persons have been interned proportion can regard these figures conquest of the Western despondency, there have been 105 because they were active support as indicative of a desire in the Hemisphere. He wants cases. In only twenty of these ers of the British Union of Fascists executive to mentice the freedom
have sentences of imprisonment,Sir Oswald Mosley's ofganisd- of the citizen. There have bech;} the Ukraine and the Baku varying from one day to three tion. About 400 of these, mostly stupidities, even brutalllles, on the oilwells to exploit their months-been-imposed. In the re- the lesser Try, Buve since been part of the police. One or two maining cases, the offender has released. About 400 persons have magistrates, In "alirm and des- resources for use against
been detained because, owing pondency" cases have played the the
e British Empire. And
either to their hostile origin or fool on the bench. More than that we are placed in deadlier Staff, and they have to scciations; there was ground for the record does not burmit anyone Helieving that they were in gym seriously to claim. In the most danger if he succeeds, as deal on this occasion with pathy with the enemy, Of these, important case of detention, that 130 have since been released. The of A well-known Communist some observers think he a population far more thin number of persons: "How figure, I have myself carefully in sabot-under detention de a result of investigated the issue. I should may, in running through skilfully ver Southern Russia like a age. But we must do our
orders from the Home Secretivy mystif have ordered his Intern 16 920 of whoin 790 dre men and met on the evidence; I dda that, knife through butter. It part. The harder we can 180 are women. All of them have on that evidence in either is not, however, such an make it for Hitler the bet against them and permitted le exctution would have been inevit
Boch informed of the charges Germany of the Soviet Union, his easy task that Hitler has ter it will be for us. The sue their case, urolit detentioni able: do not increfuta set himself. Experience in sole consideration of any to a powerful Advisory Committee the view that he is a martyr of a In the Home Office over which at Governnient careless it working- the Ukraine in 1918 will real importance is that eminent Liberal jawyer, Tir: class liberties. On the contrary not be far from the minds, when we help Russia, we Norman Birkell, KC, his progid the mildness of his treatment is in dd. Most of the Telbubla ordered striking contchat to the surtouentas of the German General help ourselves,
by the Home Scurotary have been of his offence,
!!
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