Operation Longbank

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32522, 4 February 1971, Page 10

Operation Longbank

Sir, —Now that our highlyeducated and well-red student misleaders, reinforced by those curious coves who migrate annually to meaning-

ful and meditative mating grounds at Curious Cove, rave executed their devastating (if somewhat damp squid) out-of-sortie against the American base at Longbank, it is time to ask, “was their iourney really necessary?” From the point of amusing entertainment, and, after all, that is the only way we can seriously take the student exhibitionists of today, it was worth while. “Dad’s Army” had nothing on it. Who could suppress a chuckle as these prime products of a permissively precocious society marched (out of step) and sang (out of tune) as, in the true spirit of lounging layabouts, they launched their languid attack against America. They did their thing, shot off their mouths, speechified, philosophised, threw a bomb and went home. What was the fuzz about?—Yours, etc., G. M. EDMONDS. February 3, 1971.

Sir, —What cheek on the part of the Longbank demonstrators to claim that their stupid “resolution” had been “adopted unanimously at a general meeting of the people of New Zealand!” Happening to be in Blenheim at the time, I was able to observe at first hand the amount of support they received from; the local people—precisely nil, in spite of their efforts to whip up a few more followers. And I’d be willing to bet that this would hold good for most New Zealand communities. Instead of making ludicrous statements, the students and the P.Y.M. should admit that the whole affair was a fiasco and crawl back under their stones again.— Yours, etc., ON THE SPOT. February 2, 1971.