DEFENCE OF N.Z.

Grey River Argus, 25 August 1937, Page 6

DEFENCE OF N.Z.

[To the Editor]. Sir, —Comment in the “International Notes” in Saturday’s “Argus” oh the question of defence for New Zealand prompts me to make a few remarks. “Left Wing” wishes to build up a Territorial Force in New Zealand with the aid of the N.Z. Federation of Labour, and oust any officer who does not conform to his politics. This is what started the Spanish Civil War —the deliberate and acknowledged ousting of the regular olficers, and their replacement by others with Communistic sympathies. Suppose, therefore, that there were to be engineered a similar control of our forces in the neaifuture, as they plan, we would be in the same position as those hundreds of Russians who recently lost tneir heads. Liberty of thought,' speech, writing and religion would . be wiped out. Before I conclude, I slm like to ask “Left Wing,” through your columns, to give us some more details about the hundreds of pioneers of the Soviet whom Stalin had re.moved in the past six months or so. All the information we have gathered is from a few tense cables saying they helped to found the Soviet, help-

ed to administer the laws and all of a sudden they are tried and executed. What was the reason? —Yours, etc., “FIAT LUX.”