“The End of The Furrow”

Northern Advocate, 29 July 1939, Page 2 (Supplement)

“The End of The Furrow”

(By “PLOUGHMAN”)

PARLIAMENT—A COSTLY LUXURI

At the moment of writing, Parliament has been in session for a couple of weeks. On the debit side we have the huge expenditure of public money, necessitated by ekeping this costly luxury in operation for a fortnight. On the asset side we have nothing what-

ever to show. About four years ago wo were promised a “brave new world” in which Parliament was to be run on business lines and was to be made vigorous and efficient. The microphone has conquered the good, intentions of those far off days. Parliament is no more efficient in 1939 than it was In 1935. It costs as much now as it did then —perhaps even a little more, because we have an odd under-secretary or two. The “brave new Parliamentary world” seems as remote as ever.

WALKING OUT ON THE GERMANS

Here’s a good idea from Central Europe. The lovely old city of Prague was once the centre of a much talked of Island of Democracy, between contending totalitarian states. To-day it is overrun oy the German army of occupation. How do the Czechs take it? The following story may throw some light on this matter: Prague is known for the excellence of its restaurants, and of the coffee served therein. One afternoon recently a company of citizens had assembled at the usual hour of 4 p.m. for a modest refresher. All at once a small party of German officers entered the restaurant. As if by one accord, the Czech patrons of this restaurant rose in a body, paid their bills, and departed, leaving the German officers in solitary possession. What a splendid way of showing one!s resentment! How about applying the same tactics when we receive a visit from the union secretary in search of compulsory levies, or the Social Security officer in Quest of contributions?

IS GERMANY HUNGRY? It is easier to ask a question than to answer it, and the above question is no exception to the rule. A friendly correspondent in England advises me that from information in his possession he has good reason to infer that Germans living in certain parts of Germany are definitely short of foods, especially those possessing a large fat content. He mentions in particular, two or three provinces in the North of Germany and along the Baltic Sea coast. He adds that in some of the industrial centres German workers are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the long hours of labour necessitated by the speeding-up in the armaments programme. Pie concludes with one other statement of some significance. It appears that Nazi officials are becoming less inclined to pay political visits to such centres as Plamburg and Lubeck. Apparently'. Nazis are like the rest of us, and they prefer to go into those places where the going moderately good. •>: * -xREMOVED, BUT NOT “LIQUIDATED” . . A cable from Moscow reports that M. Frinovski has been relieved of bis post as Commissar of Marine. No' reasons arc given. We are i.ot told whether this is a further example or "political liquidation" or merely a

gentle “purge.” In any event, the most modern slogan in official circles in the Soviet Union seems to be “Another little purge won’t do us any harm.” Quite a cheerful game, so long as you are one of those whose job is to call the tune. * * * THE NAZI OCTOPUS Herr Hitler is a great lover of peace —if he can get it on his own terms. So are we all, no doubt. The amazing thing, however, is the distance Herr Hitler will travel in search of it. Not so very long ago, our cables buzzed with the information that his agents were seeking to establish a Nazi peace in that remote district of South America known to the world as Patagonia. The Argentinians, however, who have run this territory for generations without Prussian assistance, are fully alive to the danger. German activities in this region have been responsible for the publication by the Argentine of a new decree which is designed to limit the energies of all foreign associations, political or just mere peace-loving and “kultural,” In future, such bodies must be Argentinian in origin, no matter where their members come from. They must not receive grants or subsidies from abroad and their records and minutes must be available for official inspection. Full details as to the names, addresses and nationality of their members must be furnished to the Minister of the Interior. It is a very curious fact how ihe love of one man for peace may have such far-reaching effects in curbing the liberties of others in very distant parts of the world.

ITALY AND HER JEWS Italy is showing a growing tendency to copy Germany in the matter of the treatment meted out to her Jewish citizens. As many as 3700 Jews were forced to depart from Italy under a iffw which fixed a day in March as the : final date for completing this latest chapter in our modern history of persecution. Lawyers, doctors, engineers and other professional men are alb registered and Jews on the register; are divided into two classes—those, who have rendered good service to the State and those who have not. The, former will not be adversely affected' by Italian racial laws; the latter must limit their activities to the affairs of Jewish clients. No Jew can enter the profession of journalism unless he is specially permitted to do so by the State. It all seems so terribly unjust. Merit, character and ability play no part in the matter; the accident of birth determines one’s right to the exercise and use of one’s talents. How long can a nation flourish when its rulers deliberately embark upon a policy that is so glaringly un-moral and contrary to natural justice? Tithe

alone holds the answer to this question. ff * * NO TERRITORIAL AMBITIONS WHATSOEVER Enormous sums must be spent every year by politicians in dashing about from place to place, making speeches, eating dinners, and so on. Prince Paul of Yugoslavia visits Rome; the British Foreign Minister goes to Paris; a Polish general hurries to London. The most recent announcement on this point in otir foreign press concerns the movements, of Marshal Italo Balbo, the Italian Governor of Libya. He, it seems, has been to Egypt. In the course of his conversation with the- Premier of Egypt, the Italian marshal laid great stress upon the fact that “Italy had no territorial designs whatever as regards the land of Egypt.” This yarn is becoming very threadbare. Herr Hitler has used similar language in relation to Austria, to Czechoslovakia, to Poland. Signer Mussolini has talked in much the same vein. We are getting so used to it that we never bother to ask whether it is true. It’s all rather like an oft repeated tale in New Zealand' about a certain man-made, depression!