THE SINO-JAPANESE WAR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23369, 8 December 1937, Page 6

THE SINO-JAPANESE WAR

TO THE EDITOR Sir,—lt must afford a great deal of satisfaction to a certain class of your correspondents that in our British " make up" there is such a preponderance of tolerance. Your correspondent "Patriotic New Zealander is indeed fortunate that he is living in a country that flics our beloved Union Jack. In no other country would such a correspondent be privileged to have inserted in any paper such traitorous correspondence as is presented by him. This person would ask us to accept his un-British views and those of the foreign press in preference to our own and English press as to the rights of the Japanese to wage an aggressive war on China. I and, thank God, the great majority of our own New Zealanders and British people throughout the world are quite content to accept what is published in our own papers, and Lave every reason to do so. Why should we for a moment consider the foreign press is the reliable news agency? No. we are not traitors to our flag and country like "Patriotic New Zealander." This person would long ago have been under lock and key were he to attempt to have inserted in any paper such letters as he presents to you for publication did he live in any of these countries which he is so proud to extol and uphold. He is quite prepared to sign himself "Patriotic New Zealander," but

on no account would he sign himself "Patriotic Britisher." He belongs to the class that longs to see the downfall of the British Empire. He is content to live in our beloved country and Empire, amongst us who love a.id honour our Homeland and its traditions. The pity is that he does not transfer himself to any of those countries where his spirit dwells. We can do very well without such as him and his class. Long live our beloved Union Jack and British Empire!—l am, etc.. December 6. Searchlight. TO THE EDITOR Sir, —My thanks are surely due to your entertaining correspondent "Patriotic New Zealander," for although he rather bashfully declined my suggestion of regularly contributing to your columns on world affairsyet he has been generous and effusive enough to give at least half a column weekly of mirth-producing balderdash The British press cannot be believed, he rants, because Hitler says it is under the influence of the Jews. Yet that heroic understudy of Hitler's. Sir Oswald Mosley, has just found io his considerable cost that that was a mistaken idea in the case of at least one British newspaper. The British press also is "sensational." Yet it is well beaten in that line by the one-man press of Italy, which has been known to describe its master, Mussolini as " divine," and the " all-seeing One." Possibly in the eyes of "Patriotic New Zealander " that is merely giving statements of fact. Then the only news regarding the Japanese aggression in China worth believing is contained in the statements of Japanese Consuls-general and newspapers specially printed in English—which is really a most quaint idea of impartiality, as the Japanese, being such honest, proud people, would never themselves stoop to mere propaganda. It is only to be expected that your correspondent is one of the fortunate ones who receive copies of these papers, but could he not put the public wise as to the source from which they can be procured, and at what cost? Think how much good they would do if the public knew where to get them, instead of having to depend on the crusts which "Patriotic New Zealander" cares to deal out. " Patriotic New Zealander " sneers at the few Labourites and sloppy sentimentalists who are endangering relations with Japan, yet naively appeals for sympathy for both Japan and Italy on the self-same sloppily sentimental grounds of past friendship, etc. His statement that the " Loyalists ol Madrid are for the most part really Bolshevist Jews" is most enlightening, as I for one have been under the impression that even a Jew could not exist in Spain, either in commerce or moneylending, against the competition of the Jesuits. But alas, how ignorant we are after all! Even with all the books on the subject to be procured at libraries, etc., we have finally to get the truth from Balclutha.

Regarding his assertion that "New Zealanders are for ever whooping and dancing war dances to the tune of the sensational English press," let us by all means have a change of dancing masters and try Mussolini, a superb master in the art of war dances. Doubtless "Patriotic New Zealander" would then be very much to the fore, especially when the blessing of the Pope, which seems a necessary part of the proceedings, was being given. Now that the Vatican and Japan are such bosom friends, would your correspondent care to hazard an opinion as to the likelihood of non-Catholic missionaries being expelled from China once Japan has conquered that country? I am aware that he has a strong aversion to discussing the political activities of that church, but as much the same thing occurred in Abyssinia, 1 trust he will, with his superior knowledge give his valued opinion on the question. Which reminds me that so far "Patriotic New Zealander" has failed to name his "independent witnesses" whom he so glibly quoted, of the dastardly massacre in Addis Ababa Why? —I am, etc., Puzzled December 6.