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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 12, No. 10. September 20th, 1949
[Introduction]
In his excellent book "Victoria University College: An Essay towards a History", Dr. J. C. Beaglehole gave a long-needed appraisal of our Alma Mater's role as the upholder of intellectual freedom and independent thought. But in his commentary on the ultimate significance of the details of fights on such issues, he asked "Who now, a generation later, has heard of the terrible 'Red Europe'?" That brings memories of a world-shaking book, still officially banned in this country, which, nevertheless, many old leftists still have in their shelves.
"Red Europe" is a little blue volume,-published in Australia in 1919. The author is Frank Anstey, a Labour member of the Commonwealth Parliament who was a government representative of the Australian Press Mission in France in 1918. On this work he mixed in high diplomatic circles, and had access to the most detailed, confidential and personal information on the current world situation. As a Socialist, he was profoundly shocked by the cynical betrayal of the aims for which the First World War was meant to, be fought. To him the contrast between the earnest sincerity and vision of the Russian Socialists under Lenin was in striking contrast to the brazen hypocrisy of the hired Iscar-iots of the Western countries. He saw Europe, soaked red with the blood of the millions who had been slaughtered in the great orgy of carnage, to him the clear product of predatory imperialism.
Out of the blood-soaked earth, as from dragon-seed, he saw the armies of revolution rising up, leading the peoples to the new hope of Socialism.