THREATS TO DEMOCRACY

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 144, 14 December 1940, Page 9

THREATS TO DEMOCRACY

DANGER FROM WITHIN

LOSS OF INDIVIDUALITY.

What he -described -as influences dangerous to democracy in the community itself were referred to by the Key. P. Gladstone Hughes, 8.A., when speaking at the annual prize-giving ceremony at Scots College. ''First of all, there is a tendency- towards uniformity and standardisation," he said. "The goose-step and uniform movement has become popular not only in the countries with which we are at war, but in our own country also." It was so easy to move in that direction unconsciously, and at the end of that road was totalitarianism. I Another danger was- collectivism— i the refusal to stand on one's own feet, i and the giving up of rights as if they were of no account. "W y e pay lip-ser-vice to freedom and democracy," he said, "but do we really want it, or are we prepared to hand it over to those persons who can satisfy our needs? The schools must be looked to to cultivate individuality and independence, which are. essential to democracy. If j we lose that spirit of independence we I lose our democracy too." • Mr. Hughes said that rather than the State-fed citizen dependent on others and unable to stand on his own feet, the sturdy, rebellious type was to be preferred. He hoped that the schools and colleges would stand for the building up of that kind of character.