“A Time For Heart- Searching”

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 195, 14 May 1940, Page 9

“A Time For HeartSearching”

Sir, —-The editorial in Saturday’s “Dominion,” “A Time for Heart-Search-ing,” without doubt reflects the feelings of all true New Zealanders, particularly the concluding paragraphs: “The war can only be won by united effort, goodwill and the abandonment of self-interests' and sectional interests. That is the clear and striking moral of this past eventful week.” The true meaning of Democracy has been widely debated during recent weeks, but the fact stands that something is wrong with our mentality in New Zealand. Some false theory of Democracy has crept into our political thinking. In the extremely critical times we are living iu, it is manifestly time that we made some attempt to recover our good sense and exercise those powers of clear thinking, common service, sacrifice and action on our home-front for which our parents were not unjustly famous. Abraham Lincoln, of whom it has been said that he stripped every question of its political and economic aspects laying bare its moral character, was careful to warn the American people that the theory of Democracy implies a moral, intelligent and patriotic electorate. He saw cleirrly that the then new theory of government could not conceivably function unless Hie people who adopted it conscientiously considered their political problems and took a large “unseetional” and “moral” view of every question. What today is the root cause in New Zealand of internal sectional strife aud dissension when we should be concentrating all energy on our war effort? If realities are to ibe faced up to it will be admitted that irrespective of the war it is the policy of the Government that hits miscarried because of rising costs and decreased production. This is the natural sequence of auy policy that seeks to maintain an artificial standard of living for some at the expense of others, and at the same time strives to dominate the life and liberty of the individual. Because of the critical times confronting Christian civilization, the elected representatives of the people should .be called together without further delay and a National War Cabinet formed. Only leadership and an aroused people ean stop further decline, not only in production, but also <r decline in our national life under an economic order that demolishes individualism aud exhausts the reserve strength of this little country. Many people today do not appear to have even a. faint conception of what the defeat of Hie Allies would mean.

Let employers and employees co-oper-ate in plans and efforts to overcome apathy, obstacles and difficulties, and let them be guided in this endeavour by wisdom and the wise measures. ot patriotism and co-operation in which Great Britain has given such a magnificent lead. Fortunately “reason” has ruled in Great Britain in a union of sacrifice and service to safeguard Christian civilization and Democracy against the brutal rule of Nazi dictatorship trad the gun. The time is overdue to unite and co-operate in our war effort on the home-front under a National War Cabinet, inspired by the appeal made by Mr. Winston Churchill, now the vigorous leader of a Government still, however, sensitive to democratic opinion as any democratic government should be. The statesmanlike appeal during the momentous debate in the House of Commons wag voiced in the following simple but sincere and arresting words that will go down in history:—“Let pre-war feuds die. Let jiersonal quarrels be forgotten. Let party interests be ignored. Let all our energies be harnessed. Let all the ability and force of the nation be hurled into the struggle. At no time in the last war were we in greater peril than we are now.” —I am, etc T, A. FRASER. Wellington, May 12.