NATIONAL UNITY

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23080, 24 July 1940, Page 14

NATIONAL UNITY

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. Sir —For months past it has become increasingly evident that, in spite _ 0 war efforts, we people of New Zealand end our first century with a great lack of national unity. We are one and all too individualistic, which,- as John Macmurray points out, works to destroy real individuality, through our non-co-operation in the national tasks of a democracy. The place this comes out most is in Parliament, whose proceedings are so wisely sent us over the air. It cannot be said that the war has achieved much unity there, nor will an artificial device such as the present War Cabinet, help matters to that end, as your significant article recently points out. To begin with, the War Cabinet-is not representative. To get such we would need a Cabinet comprising, say, Messrs Fraser, Nash, Lee, Poison, and Holland—that is, with an eye also to efficiency. All the other Ministers could be demoted to undersecretaries. This is clearly impossible as things are; so apparently our state of disunity must continue, and we must look elsewhere for power to come together.—Yours, etc., JOHN JOHNSON. July 22. 1940.