PORTUGAL AND NEW ZEALAND.

Evening Star, Issue 24103, 26 January 1942, Page 7

PORTUGAL AND NEW ZEALAND.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —“ Observer ” says i wish to evade the real issue—i.e., that Portugal is an ideal country, that her conditions arc the natural sequence to honest politics, and just as 'England remains a friend of Portugal so would she remain a friend of New Zealand if our Government was to do as Dr Salazar has done. I can assure him 1 have no intention to evade the issue. The political policy of Dr Salazar has much to recommend it. and should bo given .serious thought by our New Zealand Government and people. If the adoption of some of the measures of Dr Salazar can prevent the destruction of life and property in New Zealand-; —and I believe they would—as sensible people wo should support them. To say, as “ Observer ” says, that the policy or Dr Salazar would moan a dictatorship, poverty, illiteracy, and the worst form of exploitation is foolish. Dictatorship is seen here in its worst form in the application of our laws and regulations relative to our industries. Poverty is reflected in our police court records of crime against person and property. Illiteracy is seen and reflected through

the columns of our newspapers, wherein we find professional men and others advocating views and expressing opinions and abuse and afraid of signing their names to their letters and contributions. Illiteracy is not only a reflection of being unable to read and write, but is a reflection of the lack of 'ability to learn and understand. Exploitation is rampant and was never greater; it is reflected in our Stock Exchange quotations. “ Observer ” informs us that the Now Zealand pound is related to the English pound, and that New Zealand and Portugal are on the sterling block. He omits to tell us that the Now Zealand pound is depreciated and the exchange is pegged, and that the currency of Portugal is free and at a premium with sterling. He omits to tell us that the value internally of Portugal’s money is a reflection of its value in what it will purchase in the markets of the world, and that the New Zealand pound is limited to the amount of goods the Government will allow to come on the New Zealand market to be exchanged. He omits to tell us that if we were to stabilise our currency at, say, £lO 10s per oz fine gold, and make it free and convertible to our people, we should have no necessity to increase our armed forces op to be afraid of invasion or a reduced standard of living for our people. All countries’ currencies for trading purposes are quoted relative to sterling, and the value of sterling is relative to gold. The main cause of the world’s trouble is a reflection of the. monopoly control of tho standard commodity, gold. .Sterling—the British . paper pound—has been steadily falling in value and gold rising since 1931. —I am, etc., C. M. Moss. [This correspondence is now con/dnrlod iRd FI Ss 1