“VOTE FOR VICTORY”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25338, 23 September 1943, Page 3

“VOTE FOR VICTORY”

Sir,—ln a sub-leader entitled “How to Vote ” in the Daily Times this morning a violent attack is made on an article by myself entitled “Vote for Victory,” and also on the publication which printed this article, the Otago University Review'. The sub-leader states: "The bias and sheer misrepresentation of the article indeed support the statement of the editors that the Review this year 'falls short of its former glory.’ ’* No evidence is advanced to show in what way the article was a misrepresentation. Instead, in order to discredit the article and the editors for publishing it, the Dally Times resorts to its own subtle form of misrepresentation by a very skilful use of quotations. The editors of the Review stated that the Review this year "falls short of its former glory because of war-time restrictions.” If political bias is to be the standard by which to condemn a publication then the Daily Times stands condemned out of its own mouth. The sub-leader also states that the editorial was a tolerably lucid and in other ways a proper concept of the obligations of the student to society. It goes on to contend that my article lacked these qualities of tolerable lucidity and propriety. The editorial was, I may venture to add, also tolerably non-com-mittal. My article from the point of view of the Daily Times was apparently intolerably lucid. The writer of the subleader would do well to read and bear in mind the section of the editorial of the Review which stated, "We lack where we most need a spirit of tolerance.” I shall quote this piece of misrepresentation as an example of the O.D.T.s underhand tactics. " The Independents, with the exception of Messrs Atmore and Barnard, are ‘ either political fools or vote-splitting indivduals ’, working for a party.” My statement was as follows: “ Mr Barnard and Mr Atmore are probably the only genuinely ' Independent ’ political figures in New Zealand. The remainder are either political fools or vote-splitting individuals working for the benefit of one or other party.” Whether they are wittingly or unwittingly working for the benefit of another party is beside the point. It is not their personal sincerity which counts, but their actions.—l am, etc., Anti-Fascist. [ln endorsing the statement of the editors that the Review has fallen from glory we said their admission was made “in another connection.” Our correspondent’s reference to the vote-splitting quotation is mere hair-splitting.—Ed., O.D.T.] Sir,—Your leader wherein you violently charge the editor of the Otago University Review with " impudent, political virulence,” will find no dcho of approval in the minds of many people. The writer with realism, and that clarity of thought which is largely a prerogative of youth, rightly senses that the one thing most New Zealanders want to-day beyond all else, is final victory. He correctly adduces from all the smother of recentlyhatched party promises that Labour's solid record of achievement in connection with the war offers the one real hope.—l am, etc., C. W. Sinclair. September 22.