COUNT VON LUCKNER’S VISIT

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22105, 29 May 1937, Page 20

COUNT VON LUCKNER’S VISIT

TO TUB BDITOB OT THB FBESB. Sir, —I should like to endorse all “A.W.” says about Count Von Luckner’s visit. If the Society of Railway Servants at Otahuhu feels that Count Von Luckner is going to spread propaganda against the Labour Party, then Otahuhu —which, by now, should be hibernating under the mud for winter —is flattering itself. Most of us-have heard of Germany and Count Von Luckner. Few of us have heard about Otahuhu, and fewer still of the Otahuhu branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants. Count Von Luckner’s interest is in New Zealand and the places he knows. These do not include Otahuhu. He certainly comes as a former enemy, but a kindly, chivalrous former enemy whose name will go down in history as a daring man who did his duty but did not cause the loss of a life. His humane and considerate treatment of prisoners will be talked of by generations to come. He certainly overshadows any place Otahuhu may have in history. If Count Von Luckner comes here and is given any sort of civic reception, I intend to be there. With me will be three relations who will attend as an acknowledgement not only of Count von Luckner’s bravery, but as an acknowledgement of the courtesy , and hospitality accorded them, as

members of the Army of Occupation, by the people of Cologne. And what has the Labour Party to fear? The party has kept all its election promises. It has reduced taxation, it has reduced the exchange, it has cut out the sales tax, it has increased wages but avoided increases in cost of goods, it has made its appointments to big jobs on merit alone, permitting neither fear nor favour to influence decisions. -Even Otahuhu must join me in saying, “Oh! Yeah!” And, I think when all is said and done, Count Von Luckner will not be particularly interested in the Southern Cross Soviet. He will not be sending back confidential reports on the “rearonable” rents of Government houses. Even his great heart could not stand a close-up of the average New Zealand . r’s income-tax demand. I feel sure he will be more interested in scenes of his old exploits than in the onion question. And, though Mr Semple may remind him of someone, though he may be amazed at the number of civil servants, inspectors, committees, and departments when compared to the number of our population, though he may receive a shock at the amount of our radio licence fee and a still bigger shock on listening to our programmes, he will not start distributing propaganda. Felix Von Luckner is not built that way. Otahuhu may imagine that it is a leader in Dominion affairs. I would advise Otahuhu to paint its town hall or put a new gale on the pound before it starts dictating to the Dominion.—Yours, etc., SCOTSMAN. May 28, 1937.