"Marxism is not a dogma but a guide to action." This was stressed by Dr. Harold Silverstone, Wellington District Secretary of the C.P.N.Z. at the third exec-sponsored lecture this year. The essential modernity of Marxism was shown by Dr. Silverstone in his discussion of the importance of the later period of Capitalism. Marxism is no static philosophy, but, being dialectic, was concerned with change. He quoted Goethe: "Theory, my friend, is grey, but eternally green is the tree of life." The theories of Marx have been developed and added to by Lenin and Stalin in the epoch of Imperialism.

Marx was no arm-chair philosopher; he referred to the Paris Commune as the "storming of the heavens" in token of their heroism. Engels, as his collaborator, dealt in detail with similar matters.

Socialist Students.

In the Soviet Union today students are trained primarily as citizens, and it is interesting to us that those students attending lectures are only under obligation to attend them in their first year.

In reply to a rather naive question from the floor the speaker stated that the difference between the governments of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany is this—the State is the organ of the ruling class and in Germany the government represents a small group of capitalists whereas in the Soviet Union the government represents the people.

Among the evergreen students of Marxism the "Salient" reporter saw Messrs. Riske and Miller, who both made their characteristic contributions to the discussion.

• • •

"Send out Salient, the swift satiric
point
To smart the sluggard mind awake.
While freedom anywhere in bonds is
pent,
No compromise with falseness make.
Those freed today, tomorrow forth
must leap.
Some further outpost there to take
and keep."
(Quoted in "Salient" editorial,
18/3/39).