Grave Public Unrest

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 279, 25 November 1939, Page 6

Grave Public Unrest

11l all the century of our being, this Dominion lias never before had such widespread and deeply-felt unrest amongst its citizens. An unrest that is the more amazing when it is recalled that the Empire is at war, engaged upon what has been properly termed a life and death struggle. And this is so within a quarter of the Empire justly renowned for its proud-and ardent patriotism—a truly extraordinary state of affairs.

For this the Government must alone take responsibility, for the unrest arises not from any subverse propaganda, but has directly and inevitably followed as a matter of course from the policies inaugurated by this Government. Such unrest will be not quietened by threats at our freedom of speech as uttered by the Prime Minister.

It can be allayed only by amendments, and drastic amendments, to the course followed. In any other democratic country such unrest as is here seen would have led to the resignation of a Government. Politics in this Dominion are much less fluid than elsewhere; even so, the temper of the country is to-day such that the possibility is not remote. The Prime Minister and his colleagues are, we fear, living in a dream world.