The action of the Government in causing the abandon- ment
last week of the prosecution of Mr. J. R. Campbell, the Editor of the Workers' Weekly, was almost incredibly stupid. On July 25th the Workers' Weekly published an appeal to soldiers urging them to turn their weapons on their " oppressors," on " the exploiters and capitalists.", The Secretary for War, Mr. Stephen Walsh, referred the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions on the very proper ground that the appeal was an incitement to mutiny. The Director of Public Prosecutions, having taken the opinion of the Attorney-General, Sir Patrick Hastings, decidetit to prosecute. Accordingly Mr.--Camp- bell was arrested, and -came before the Police Court on WedneAday, August 6th. But on Wednesday, August 13th, the case was suddenly- withdrawn by the Treasury counsel, who expressed the belief that it was not the intention of the Workers' Weekly to "try to seduce' men -in the Army from their allegiance." Mr. Campbell was discharged amidst general Communist' rejoicings. .The oda thing was that Mr. Campbell entirely disavowed the defence which was made for him by the Treasury counsell. * * * *
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