The Communist Method

It is an elementary British principle that not only should Justice be done, it should also be seen to be done, but this is not a principle which one would expect to have any appeal to Communists. Justice has certainly not been seen to be done by the Communist-dominated Electrical Trade Union (England) whose leaders have imposed lines on men who led a return to work without permission during a strike of employees of J. Lyons and Co., last year. Three of the men have been fined £20, £15 and £5, and, in addition, have been suspended from eligibility for cash benefits and deprived of the right to stand for union office for five years.

Letters sent to other men telling them disciplinary action against them is pending are reported to have pointed out that, if they sign the enclosed "confessions" of their guilt, they need not appear before the executive council. One of the men on whom a fine has already been Imposed has said that, when he appeared before the executive council, he was not allowed to call his own witnesses or to question those said to have made statements against him, at least one of whom had denied making such a statement. During his "trial," he said, a concealed microphone relayed his remarks to a tape recorder. When he complained of this, the president of the Union, Mr. F. Fowlkes, replied that it was merely normal procedure. The known methods of Communism do not make this seem mildly improbable.

This type of secret "trial" is abhorrent to British opinion, but unfortunately, many workers have been so misled by years of class-war propaganda that they can be persuaded to accept almost any abomination in the name of solidarity.