MR COBBE’S ADDRESS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 77, 28 February 1938, Page 10

MR COBBE’S ADDRESS.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Anyone reading your report of Mr Cobbe’s speech at Feilding can sympathise with his audience in being amused rather than interested. The old gentleman’s capacity for erecting straw men and then knocking them down is almost a fine art. To effectively reply to his statements will hardly be exercise for his opponent Mr Laurie Hunter, M.P. There is one part of his speech, however, which does not become even a “gentleman of Mr Cobbe’s calibre,” to quote the mover of the vote of thanks. That is his attempt to stir up sectarianism which he evidently does in his reference to the sermon of Rev. Father Crowe. He attempts to show that tho Government is taking sides with the Communist against religion. That suggestion i 6 definitely untrue and unfair. If any institution or the representative o’f any institution be allowed to attack any other institution, then logically th© institution attacked should be given the right per medium of the same source to retaliate. To use our broadcasting system for that purpose would be quite wrong in principle as Mr Cobbe very well knows. I am neither a Catholic nor a Communist, but I have access-to the literature of both organisations, just as I have access to the literature of Libera] organisations which Mr Cobbe upholds. Seeing that Mr Cobbe is attempting (by what process of reasoning I am at a loss to understand) to prove that the antagonism of interests of Communists and Catholics is in some manner a slur on the Labour Government, might I point out to Mr Cobbe that if he thinks that he thereby proves the Church’s allegiance to the principles for which he stands, he is quite wrong. Let me quote from an article by A. S. Hegerty, 8.A., in ths Australian Sunday Visitor; The Catholic Church, ever the friend ot the workers, has had many sturdy fighters for social justice during the last century. Their fight was against tfcfc philosophy called Liberalism which was summed up in the slogan ‘Laiseez, faire’ which in plain words meant 'an open go.’” He then sums up the economic philosophy, of Liberalism l 1 0" der three heads of which the first reads: “The individual io have unrestricted liberty in the economic fialdL Only this liberty will ensure economic progress and the good of society.” Again, “Material self-interest of tho individual rules his every action and is the unlimited stimulus to his actions.” And again, “The Government is to leave trade and finance alone.” That is the philosophy of the National Party, end is the philosophy winch according to A. S. Hegerty in the Sunday Visitor, the Catholic Church has consistently fought against. The same article quotes Frederic Oyanam, the founder of the St. Vincent De Paul Society, as saying “that if social charity was necessary Jo heal the wounds of society, justice cxiz&xt to have been beforehand and Tjrervsivfced theirL ,> Good. That is also the philosophy of Labour. That is Jlie pbilosophv which is opposed hv Mr Cobbe and his political party. That was the philosophy which was ceased hv the Government of which Mr Cobbe was a Minister, and which the partv, built on justice, the Labour Party, so ignobly defeated last election and will repeat at the next election. Let ns assume that Mr Cobbes party were returned to power. Isn’t there jost a possibility that the same will hapnen in New Zealand as has happened in America according to an article in the Catholic Worker dated October 2, 1937? According to this article conditions under American Liberaltsm liave become so bad that Catholics and Communists have set aside their religious differences and fight shoulder to shoulder in the economic field The article is the report of an interview with John Br'ophy director of the C. 1.0. He was asked ‘Well. Mr Brophy. you have nothing to tear from Communists?” His reply was. “No. we Catholics in the C. 1.0. have nothing to fear from Cojnmunists so long as we try to effectuate the Principles enunciated by our Ho y Father in his Labour Encyclicals. In his report of the clashes with Capitalism he says, “The dead are always the dead of Labour. Entrenched wealth and power resist a sharing of power with organised workers. The way to solve the problem is bv mutual trust, co-operation, industrial democracy, laain. good. The last sentence is the pmlosojmy of Labour Govem-

ment. I think Mr Cobbe is going to have a job to split the workers on any sectatian issue. I think he is _ very silly to try. In fact I think a “gentleman of Mr Cobbe’s calibre” is very hard up for argument when he clutches at such a straw. As the Labour Government’s principles are the principles of democracy, and as those principles are laid down as having been “endorsed by the Creator with certain inalienable rights amongst which are life, liberty, and the permit of happiness,” Mr Cobbe has only himself to blame if the people are inclined to ridicule his utter-ances.—-I am .etc.. V. A. CHRISTENSEN. 101 Heretaunga Street, February 28 i 1938.

Other letters to the editor have been held over.