NAZI IDEOLOGY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 67, 21 March 1938, Page 15

NAZI IDEOLOGY.

LABOUR'S ATTITUDE. FEDERATION STATEMENT. REPLY TO VON LUCKNER. (By Telegraipb.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON", Sunday. ! The New Zealand Federation of Labour has issued the following statement in reply to Count Felix von Luckner, who has declined its challenge to debate Nazi ' ideology at a public meeting:—"Von Luckner asks, 'Do they think he came 16,000 miles, 380 days at sea, to talk propaganda?' and then proceeds to talk propaganda. We have no objection to his doing so. In fact, we welcome it, and repeat our invitation to do it at a public meeting, where the other side of the case can be presented. "He says their government is their own and they do not wish to export it. Does that hold good for Austria, Czechoslovakia, Spain and South American countries. He says further that if Wellington does not "want him he will go elsewhere. That is a matter for himself to decide. "New Zealand democracy, unlike Nazi-ism, gives him the right to please himself in that respect, but if Austria, Czechoslovakia and other countries do not want Hitler or Hitlerism, does he think Hitler should'agree to take himself off and leave those countries and people alone to work out their own destinies? "We note Count von Luckner's modest statement about having sunk unarmed ships in the service of his God. It appears to us that at that time Count von Luckner's God may have been Kaiserism just as it may now be Hitlerism. We regret that the invitation to publiclv debate his ideas should have so hurt Count von Luckner, but it is only just to remind him that Nazis have never considered the feelings of other people whose ideas differed from theirs.; Even to-day the feelings of some people arc being so outraged by the Nazis that they prefer suicide to the prospect of continued existence under Nazi domination."

CHALLENGE REFUSED.

NO PUBLIC DEBATE. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Sunday. Declining the challenge of the New Zealand Federation of Labour, repeated on Saturday, to debate the Nazi cause on a public platform, Count Felix von Luckner to-day once more said that he refused to be drawn into any political controversy. He would make no answer to the federation's second statement, which criticised his reply to the original challenge.

"If I make a reply," he explained, "then they will answer that again and I must in turn make a further reply and so it can go on indefinitely. I have not come to talk politics, but you can be assured it is not from weakness that I make no answer. All my victories have been won in the face of blockages."

, WARMLY APPLAUDED.

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, Sunday. So far from there being any hostile demonstration when he pave a public address last night. Count Felix von Luckner was warmly applauded. Hie lecture was punctuated by repeated clapping and afterward it was fully half an hour before he was able to leave the Opera House because of the crowds by the doors. Among the audience were many uniformed soldiers, sailors and returned soldiers. The Count's description of how he evaded the British naval blockade contained no propaganda.