“SOMETHING WRONG WITH DEMOCRACY”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26956, 16 December 1948, Page 8

“SOMETHING WRONG WITH DEMOCRACY”

Sir,—When talking to members of the RSA recently Sir Howard Kippenberger must have been in a very pessimistic frame of mind. Australia and New Zealand, he said, cannot expect to hold these territories beyond 1980 unless we increase our population to 50,000,000. and are well prepared for defence. Then we would have a chance. “a ' sporting chance.” A statement like this' Is surely an admission that democracy as other nations see it is a failure. With all the opportunities that have been ours in India and China, what Britain has failed to do over the centuries we are now told can be accomplished under Communism in 25 years. Within that period the 1,000,000,000 Asiatics could be equipped for aggressive war, and we are to face them with 50,000,000, according to Sir Howard. Mr Churchill believes in coming to an immediate understanding with Russia while we have the atomic bomb and she has not. He has never yet stated what he means by an understanding. If he means atomic warfare, he ' knows full well that war. at this juncture would be disastrous to Britain's Labour Government and its prospects of economic recovery, but might enthrone capitalism for another generation. As Sir Howard will most likely agree with Mr Churchill, has our civilisation sunk so low that only by resorting - to laws of the jungle can we hope to survive? All agree the outlook is bqd, and can only be improved by looking facts in the face. After what we are told, are we not justified in asking what is the driving, attractive and inspiring force that makes men so willing and eager to enrol under the Communist i banner? Has/.it never occurred to Sir Howard that there .may be something wrong with our democracy, that it has failed to appeal to the' downtrodden and backward peoples of the earth? It Is significant that quite recently the representatives of India, Pakistan and Ceylon have declared themselves In favour of building on a socialist basis, with Governments similar to those to-day in Britain, Australia and New Zealand. The obsolete capitalistic system espoused by Mr Churchill and others makes no appeal ...to them. I...think -that most of your readers will agree that’right through his talk Sir Howard has drawn too much on his imagination, and thereby weakened his case.—l am, etc.. Commonsense. [Abridged.—Ed. ODT.]