“A LOAFER’S PARADISE”

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25227, 4 July 1947, Page 5

“A LOAFER’S PARADISE”

Sir, —I trust your English readers and other indigenous New Zealanders who sentimentally dote with obsequious reverence on everything English, will be pacified by the explanation that editorial mutilation misconstrued the objects of my original remarks. While admiring the traditional English spirit that withstood the blitz and is dealing with reconstruction in a realistic manner, I can only sadly reflect that the English did not adopt the same national spirit in the pre-war years when apathy allowed the Western democracies to feed the dictatorships with appeasement. Honesty motivates me to say that my idea of democracy is not based upon defence; and naturally my appreciation of my native land does not coincide with that Gf a visitor habituated to the proper social structure with a few wealthy, privileged, leisured people at the top, and the useful working classes, who provide the few with their luxuries, ranged in layer upon layer below. — Yours, etc.,

A. E. E. IVORY. July 3, 1947.

•Mr Ivory may not pass his responsibility to “The Press.” The first part of his letter, which was excised, had no relation to that part of the second part, which was printed in full, to which his critics take exception.—Ed., “The Press.”] Sir—Without entering into this controversy I must take strong exception to the remarks by A. E. E. Ivory in his reference on June 28 in your publication to “Pommies and Cockneys.” Does this correspondent not know that the first people to populate and settle our New Zealand were principally these self same people. A remark in such bad taste leaves an impression that A. E. E. Ivory is sponsoring the east (the Elephant) rather than the British and their descendants. —Yours, etc., A PIG ISLANDER. July 3, 1947. [K. F. Downs, may, if he wishes, briefly reply; otherwise, this correspondence is closed.—Ed. “The Press.”]