NOTES AND COMMENTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23748, 30 August 1940, Page 8

NOTES AND COMMENTS

THE PATTERN OF FREEDOM It is altogether right and fitting that at moments such as these the thoughts of men and women should go back to the past and to the noble utterances of great men who -have been faced with the onslaught of barbarians and savages and who. have, without fear, faced them and given everything that they had to give for freedom, writes Mr. A. G. Macdonell in recommending Sir Bruce Richmond's collection, "The Pattern of Freedom." Never was an anthology more perfectly timed in its date of publication than this, and never, I think, was an anthology more completely ■ satisfying. From the days of Marathon to the Battle of France freedom has been the passion of all that part of mankind which deserves to be free, and which has preferred to be dead rather than to be slaves. The nations, the States, the races which have become slaves have deserved it. The nations which deserved freedom have always been, and always will be ; free. GOEBBEL'S WILES Som9 of us suppose even now that we are immune from infection by Nazi propaganda, writes Mr. H. M. Tomlinson in John O'London's Weekly. We are confident our intelligence is proof against its wiles. We need no advice. It seems, however, that this bold innocence, which is quite common, is one of Goebbels' easiest marks. The ways to pervert innocent honesty, that rosy characteristic of a healthy civilised community,' have had the earnest study of Hitler and his publicity department. It is always fatal for an "honest and simple man to suppose he understands diabolism. Ho know? nothing whatever about it. How should he know, with only the familiar domestic hearth, and the trusted ways of the free mind, to teach him? He*is confident he would recognise the horns and tail as soon as he sees them. Well, of course, he would. But that expectation shows his folly, and childlike folly is a lovable trait, but highly dangerous at present. This year, to be as harmless as the dove, without the protection of the serpent's wisdom, may lead to disaster absolute.