NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 305, 20 September 1943, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS

The Labour candidate for New Plymouth, Mr. F. L. Frost, recently told an audience at a country meeting that “when I get back to Parliament I am going to move that the pay o£ a Parliamentarian be placed on a basis more befitting his dignified position.” Mr. I rost went on to say that he had not met any objections to that anywhere. He will, however, when he studies the Government’s stabilization plans, for in principle at least they 'prohibit salary increases. Apparently the candidate estimates the gap between salary and the “basis befitting” at £5O. There is, however, another aspect from which the matter can be approached. The speaker said “when” he got. back to Parliament, and the audience and all those who so courteously had not raised any objections may have placed mental emphasis on that word,'so removing the prospect of action into a very indefinite political future. * * * * If the Germans themselves were actually responsible for bringing oft Mussolini’s escape from wherever he was detained under guard, as is claimed, it must have been in furtherance of an attempt to execute one of their favourite manoeuvres, which is to precipitate a confused situation in order to further their own military schemes. Considerable display has been made of the claim that Mussolini has resumed control of the Fascist elements opposed to the new Badoglio regime, and given his move a republican flavour. What seems much more likely is that the erstwhile dictator of Italy is no more than a marionette on the German puppet stage, singing and dancing in obedience to his new masters. There are no doubt a sufficient number of one hundred per cent. Fascists remaining in Italy under the protection of the Germans to make some show of a following for Mussolini in this latest move, and by their activities help to contuse the general situation in the .minds of the Italian people. Weakness and vacillation on the part of the. Badoglio Government may add to ils complexifies. By these tactics the Germans no doubt hope to gain time to mature their own plans. The mure encouraging news from Salerno, and the reported imminent functioning of the Eighth and Fifth Armies suggest, however, that a counter to their activities is well under wav.