The Daily Worker Newspaper, June 4, 1927, Page 6

WHAT THE IRISH DID- By T. A. JACKSON (London) GEORGE LANSBURY’S reminder of the parallel between the Irish national struggle and the fight around the Trades Disputes Bill derives point from scenes of gnarliamentary “disorder” reminis- cent of the days of Parnell. It is no longer possible for an opposition group to delay proceedings quite to the same extent as Parnell did; but it is still possible for a Parliamen- tary Party of the right tone and temper to pursue a course which will (as his did) at once concentrate against them the hatred of their political foes and unite in their support the enthusiasm of those whose cause they champion. The characteristic Irish method of obstruction was not merely to speak, and at great length, in opposi- tion to measures of coercion: it was to oppose sys- tematically all measures brought before the house, and generally to create such a state of congestion as reduced parliamentary business to a farce, and the government to a frenzy. This was varied by the method of moving the adjournment of the debate upon measures declared “argent” by the government—and prolonging the debate upon the motion to inordinate lengths. “That Mr. Gladstone—” When these methods provoked as they did, the angry intervéntion of the speaker, another and more galling method was employed. Its first use was on the occasion of the cancella- tion of Michael Davitt’s ticket-of-leaye (from penal servitude as a Fenian), John Dillon had sought to question the govern- ment, but had been interrupted by the speaker and suspended for insisting upon putting a point of or- der which that worthy declined to hear. Mr. Gladstone rose to move some resolutions on procedure; but had hardly started speaking before Parnell rose and moved: “That the right honorable member be no longer heard.” Amid yells of indignation at this blasphemy the Speaker refused to accept the motion, and threat- ened suspension if this conduct persisted in. Again Gladstone started to speak, and again Par- nell rose, with the same motion. He was “named” and suspended—the Irish Party refusing to leave their seats while the division was taken. Parnell being removed by the Sergeant-at-Arms, Gladstone rose again—only to be interrupted a third time by another Irish member with the same mo- tion: “That he be no longer heard.” After this the Speaker “named” and the House suspended the whole of the Irish Party present. = x eg At later stages of the struggle the Irish Party were not satisfied to leave the House under the purely foryral “compulsion” of the Sergeant-at- Arms, Police were brought in to eject them. a * * There is an ironical analogy, too, between the British Government’s excuses for their attempt to coerce Ireland and those offered in defense of the Trades Disputes Bill. It was claimed that the “Coercion” Acts were merely aimed at “liberating” the vast majority of Irishmen from the “tyranny” of a dictatorial and seditious committee (the Land League). It was contended that but for this committee there would be nothing to prevent the people from showing their great and growing love for the landlords; that, there- fore, once the League was suppressed peace and sat- isfaction would spread unbroken through the land. Identical arguments are used now of the Trades Disputes Bill—with but the changé of names EDITOR'S NOTES (Continued from Page Une) -_ the labor delegation proceeded to complete its plans. Now, Green takes the floor again to warn, frighten and intimidate. But peculiarly enough, he finds this time little endorsement from the capitalist press, Even the Chicago Tribune, second to none in its hostility to the Soviet Union, can see nothing wrong in a group of prominent labor men making a visit to Russia for study and investigation. It says: Mr. Green says that this is purely an indi- vidual enterprise, and does not involve the ap- proval or the interest of the federation. Nor, we should imagine, is anything subversive of federation principles to be expected from it. The Chicago Tribune is satisfied that American jabor men are immune to the “virus” of Bolshevism. BE : 2 eee Fre i ves tie fi i ik ee ON THE DEATH MASK OF LENIN O stony mask that bears dead Lenin’s name And his own features, clearly, boldly wrought! A face expressive of relentless aim, A brow deep-furrowed with a mighty thought. Here we can trace the greatness of the man, The deathless courage and the lofty deed That lurked behind the temples that I scan And had their being in the soul now freed. So eloquent this countenance, so brave, So steadfast even in the grip of death; And still his message stirs us from the grave And still he moves us as a stormy breath. O speak, dead mouth, that high courageous word That once you spoke and set the world on fire! Let revolution’s thunderous cry be heard Upon these lips that multitudes inspire. O look, dead eyes, and see the flames still red -That you have kindled, see the flags go by Still crimson as the blood that has been shed For freedom, still uplifted to the sky! HENRY REICH, JR. Sun Yat-Sen University . (Translated From a Moscow Weekly by Vera and Violet Mitkovsky). peer of all, the names, not Lu-Pi-Sen, Ben-Kui- hva, Li-Ven-Fa, but Toshkin, Nurin, Usachev. Now that is not at all unusual. Followers of Sun- Yat-Sen wish to draw closer to Soviet culture, It is hard to pronounce strange names, and still harder to remember them. At first the Rus- sian comrades had to remind: “Come to see us, to-day, Comrade Toshkin, won't you?” Comrade Toshkin would come, bringing others with him. It was some time before the shy Chinese girl summoned enough courage for a visit. She had been training her feet to shoes which swal- lowed enormous quantities of cotton paper but which did not make the toes any straighter, and mercilessly betrayed the feet of their owner. What do you think is the object of these visits to Russian colleagues of the University? To chat in Russian, to correct’ a doubtful pronounciation, and, perhaps, to conquer a new Russian word. In intervals between studies, the Sun-Yat-Sen- ners exchange Russian questions and remarks, speaking in slow, measured tones, in sharp contrast to their native tongue, the words of which are pro- nounced very fast, or wholly swallowed. A Sun- Yat-Senner, addressing a Russian comrade in Chi- nese, seems particularly pleased at being under- stood. He smiles pleasantly, listens attentively, and tries to correct the pronounciation and intonation. Everything Russian has a peculiar attraction for a Sun-Yat-Senner. It is impossible to sketch a Sun-Yat-Senner omitting this sympathy for the Rus- sian revolution, culture, language and literature. everyone of them has read Comrade Stalin’s on “The Political Question of a Uni- versity of Eastern Peoples” in the original, in spite of the excellency of the Chinese translation “I try to read Lenin and Plechanoy in the original,” a Sun-Yat-Senner once said to me. Three of them had spent almost two hours over a short article on Chinese events in the “Kuni-Li”. Cer- tain maneouvres were necessary here. An unknown Russian word was looked up in an English-Russian dictionary (for those who English), and then in an dictionary. As a result, a whole page of the “Kuni-Li” was scribbled over with notes on a short article! not surprised at the unanimous opinion sors at the University, that Sun-Yat-Sennegs were remarkably in@ustrious, PA, Ne Industriousness and perseverance permeate the whole “vus”. Think of building a Chinese school without Chinese lecturers; teaching a complex disci- pline with almost a total absence of the necessary Chinese textbooks! Not only the faculty failed to understand the students, but the Sun-Yat-Senners themselves often failed to understand each, other. The Cantonese could not speak freely to those from Shanghai, Pekin, or the provinces. Each province has its own dialect, and we try to build a~“vus”! Yet we have one firmly established and rapidly growing. As a professor lectures, students translate him. The constant translation of lectures on political economy, history of the West, and other subjects, is highly beneficial to the translator, as it obliges him to study the subject deeply. These translators shall, in course of time, develop into Chinese lec- turers on the corresponding subjects. This, of course, shall be a victory over the first obstacle in the path of the “University of the Workers of China” in Moscow. Facilities for study are very poor, in fact, one may say, non-existent. The University is obliged to improvise. The professor’s lecture is revised, systematized, translated into Chinese. In this way, the University has published many brochures and outlines, in a very short fime. These are a veritable treasure, not only to the students of the university, but to the workers of all China; doubtless the sec- ond great achievement of the university, : Per Rng’ wn Aepatat nl an interesting ins’ unprecedented, original, bold. The Sun-Yat-Senners themselves are curious people in the exact meaning of that word. They are mem- bers of the Kuomintang, the Party, and the Young Communist League; children of doctors Note—"Vis” is an abbreviation for “iastitation of ; MNeghor learning.”