LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17650, 10 December 1920, Page 10

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

SPIRITUALISM. Sir, —Sir Arthur Conan Doyle s story is that- a spirit photo, showed the bullet wound at side of bead. A large number of our brave men who paid the supreme sacrifice in the' recent war were disfigured. 1 thought they would, in Sir Arthur's theory, appear as when they enlisted. It is obvious the mediums must have exceeded their duties by faking photographs, thus exploding Sir Arthur's theory, and doing endless harm. P. \ irtue. Sir,Tn view of this campaign of ocultism being continued through this Dominion, kindly allow a minister of 60 years' Christian experience and an octogenarian, to boot, to record an emphatic protest against the public misuse and desecration of the words of the Bible relating to the Holy Spirit, in applying those most sacred terms as a- mask to cover the heinous sin of communication with and the worship of demons —wherein lies the danger of committing the " unpardonable pin." Also, in this period of trouble, when many true Christians are striving together .to lead the public mind into the quieter paths a.nd pastures of the soul's rest under the shadow of the '' Reck of Ages.", it is most untimely and unjust to ouf Dominion in her griefs and losses for a public man, like Sir A. ('. Doyle, to intrude into the secrets of sorrowing relations and friends, and also to disturb the minds and hearts of our brave fellows, who lave been spared to us, and who now are trying to recover mind and body from the dire effects of the war—by bringing their minds under t-he control of demonsfrom whose baneful influence the subjects of it never will escape ! Yet one more point-, is the whole issue of Sir A. C. Doyle's campaign : —What will be left as effects from his teaching upon weak nerves' and unstable minds and hearts? A tendency to insanity, greater than ever before ! Heaven and earth shall pass away; but My Word shall not pass away, saith thes Lord. W. Grf.ex. Thames. Dec. 9, 1920. WAR MEMORIALS.

Sir, —The air seems thick with the various propositions in respect of war memorials. While local memorials are very desirable in their way, cannot we in Auckland and its immediate vicinity, combine in some way- and display a- less parochial spirit than the various schemes suggest '! i'or instance, there is an idea to erect some such memorial on One Tree Hill. At Northcote, again, the proposal is to. erect something on Northcote Point. Each of these locations are very superb positions for such a memento. The objection to One Tree Hill, 'to my mind, however, is that it does not conform to the desire of 11 i 1 late donor of Cornwall Park —A desire, I understand, embodied' in his will—directing the trustees of the park to erect thereon a memorial to the Maori race. Should not the wish. of Sir John Logan Campbell be fulfilled in this matter ? One suggestion as a. site for a. local memorial was the headland at North Head—known to the Maori as Takapuna. In spite of the use of this hill as a fortification, it should still be feasible to erect thereon a memorial worthy of local effort. It would at least be visible to all arrivals and departures, being situate at the harbour entrance to the Queen City, andlike the statue of Liberty in /New York Harbour —be ever prominently in public view. A concentration of 'local energies is desirable, rather than a number of little side-shows; nor need this scheme clash with the memorial museum. This is, indeed, a provincial affair, and it is_ to be hoped that in spite of the erection of local memorials that each centre of population will not, therefore, consider their obligations ended. This support of all' the province is required to. assist in making the museum memorial worthy, not only of the province, but also of the suggested nam-—New Zealand War. Memorial Museum. Those who are ' endeavouring to launch the One Tree Hill' Northcote Point, and other minor schemes should combine and erect something worthy -of their energies on Takapuna ■ ea "- Martjtuahu.