Moral Rearmament

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 172, 18 April 1939, Page 11

Moral Rearmament

Sir, —I have read with interest your leading article on moral rearmament, and also the many interesting letters it has produced which have been published in your valuable paper. While agreeing wholeheartedly with the tone of all, I think a good deal of material rearmament is also wanted for there is a very true saying, “Trust in God, but keep your powder dry.” Both types of rearmament, however, will be very difficult in this self-sat-isfied country of ours. Does not .our Prime Minister tell us continually of our prosperity, of our unequalled standard of living, and laughs and makes fun of anybody who suggests that there is a big black wolf round the corner? We who have almost a pagan outlook on many. Christian doctrines have not even that virtue which “covereth a multitude of sins,” for we do not imitate the good Samaritan nor do we “harbour the harbourless.” A refugee fleeing from Nazi terrorism has not as much hope of gaining admittance to this country as the camel of going through the eye of a needle, or the rich man of entering the Kingdom of Heaven. Guarantors and employers may be waiting ready to do all they can for these poor people, but only a very, very few can trickle past the Minister. Why is this? Are we overpopulated? Have we not enough to eat? Surely, our vaunted standard of. living must be a very artificial one if we cannot give a helping hand to our fellow creatures in distress.

European countries with teeming populations and surrounded themselves by big black wolves, extend that hand, and first and foremost as always in such cases comes the British Empire, even our neighbour Australia is taking 5000 a year, and they have always been very keen on their standard of living, but their late great Prime Minister tried his best not only to live the life of a Christian, but to show his country how to do so, too, though one notices particularly he did not talk only, oj rather he never talked —he acted. — I am, etc., ANY’I-HUyiBUG. Wellington, April 15.