POLITICAL ISSUES.

Evening Star, Issue 23351, 22 August 1939, Page 7

POLITICAL ISSUES.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —In Saturday night’s‘issue “Inquirer ” wants to know the difference, if any, betAveen Dr M’Millan, Mr John Lee, ,and Communism. If Communism is so terrible as the Left Wing and the newspapers would make'us believe, why is it that the great British statesmen are to-day on their bended! knees appealing to Russia to assist them in the event of Avar ? They are not only appealing for assistance in the event of war, but both countries have been trading with each other for a number of years. It seems to me that Communism is not so’bad after all, and what is more, Russia ;has risen from tho most backward country in the Avorld to the most progressive. If “ Inquirer ” had the money (which I think he has) and Avent through New Zealand and saiy for himself how the Government to which both Dr M’Millan and Mr J. A. Lee belong is opening up this beautiful little country of ours, perhaps he too, would say it is l hot so bad after all.' If living decently and being progressive is Communism, and having soup kitchens and slave camps is Capitalism, give me Communisms—l am, etc., P. Sullivan. August 21. TO THE EDITOR. / i Sir, —In reply to “Man in the Street,” I got the information regarding Mr Ghamberlain’s holdings in the German munitions from the ‘ New Era ’ for July 7of this year. The one firm that I mentioned, “ Dynamit Aktien Gesellschaft,” is the German branch of the Nobel’s * Explosive Company, and in ‘ The Bloody Traffic,’ by Fenner Brockway, he tells of the British and German Governments arranging for delegates to meet on neutral territory during the war so that British holders'of German stock and Germans holding British shares could transfer their interests. For this' I do not blame Mr Chamberlain any more than any other holder of international armament shares. What 1 blame them all for is their claiming to be patriots and calling on the youth of their country to show their patriotism while they themselves derive profit both from friend and foe. Had Mr Chamberlain and Mr Baldwin before him sunk their prejudice against the U.S.S.R. because of its Socialistic economy and agreed to a mutual aid and non-aggression pact tho last four years of misery, mutilation, and bloodshed in Spain, Abyssinia, and China would have been saved. In any case, the pact will have to be made, and made quickly, too, or we shall finish up as vassals of Hitler’s “ Nazi Reich.” If, Mr Chamberlain is forced to such a pact it will be against his will. He knoAvs the doAvnfall of Fascism in Europe AA'ill usher in Communism, and these debts will be repudiated, and men will no longer live on usury, but have to render service, manual or mental, to the land they live in, and the capitalist Avill sacrifice his Imperialism before he will tolerate that. ' Mr Chamberlain is very sincere when he talks of defence, as he uses the phrase our “ interests,” not our “nationals.” The U.S.S.R. is the only country to-day which has no investments outside its own borders, and therefore no need to fight except purely forv defence. .We adults get AA'hat we deserve. We are intelligent enough to organise a peace ■ bloc and a state of peace and plenty for all,, a state where the coming generations will not be born into a system of intermittent war and perpetual debt contracted by their fathers. Men will not always fight for the privilege of being mortgagees to a privileged few mortgagors under the delusive title “National Debt.” My plea is for the children. To quote Richard Lee, M.A.: “ Nothing can justify before God and man the crucifixion of the children of Europe. What wrong have these children done to be punished for their Ua'cs?” And that is why 1 sign myself Collective Security. August 21.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —“ Collective Security ” states that my ideas on the above subject are “ more amusing,” but has taken no steps to refute ray arguments. ■“ Bachelor Girl” stated: “Mr J. A._ Lee’s speech was very able,” whereas it may be likened to a smoke screen to cover ■ up the Government’s failures; and for him to call the subscribers of our loans Shyloeks is ridiculous. As I stated, we had to get loans to build our railways, workshops, etc., and what cities would we have in the Dominion to-day if we had not gone to the London market for the loans? “Collective Security” states “ he cannot see the burden Sir Chamberlain is carrying.” Well, Sir John Simon relinquished his position

as a barrister with an income of £40,000 a year when he joined the Cabinet. What a wonderful procession that was in London when • the civilians (volunteers) marched with the regulars, to show that the nation was united, and in full support of Mr Chamberlain’s Government, Now, 1 ask, what would he suggest should be done; should the democratic States in Europe remain idle while their liberties are invaded, and Europe become one totalitarian State, with Herr Hitler as governor? Mr. Schramm (M.P. for Auckland East), in a speech, said; “ There is no more peaceful nation than England; but she is prepared, and anyone who thinks otherwise does not know the position. These slanders of and these gibes at British statesmen, andl the remarks of foreigners as to the courage of the British nation are absolutely unjustified.” If Britain had declared war when Hitler over-ran Czecho-Slovakia the. Labour Socialists would have cried out: “ Another Capitalist war.”—l am, etc., , Equilibrium. August 21.

GREEN ISLAND AFFAIRS. TO THE EDITOR. ‘

Sir, —“ Credit Where Credit is Due ” is in error in crediting the present council with the main road footpath, which was authorised before the present council was elected, and a fair length of the work accomplished. As regards .the water question, negotiations were taking place before the present council was elected, so Why credit the present council, which did not have much to do with the expected improvement? As .regards the overhead expenses, no one would take exception to paying award salaries, but would “ Credit Where Credit is Due ” expect the council to pay more? The six Labour councillors have stated, through the Press that the council is in a better position than it was 15 months ago. I would like to ask those gentlemen is it not a fact that this year there is another thousand pound loan and that the reserves for buildings and plant’ have all been used? How, then, do they make out the council is better off ? I believe that the building reserve has been overdrawn to .the extent of £200: During the last six years the council has ‘assisted quite a number of what one might call unfortunate men, and rightly so, but quite a large sum of money_ was wasted through the work' riot being of a permanent nature. Also, for every pound in wages, £1 must be found for material. Our late town clerk, after 14 years’ service, .received £7 a week salary during the last two years of his service. The present town cleric started where his predecessor finished, so why pay more?—l am, etc., Interested. August 21.