Von Luckner's Visit

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19601, 5 April 1938, Page 13

Von Luckner's Visit

Sii-_ —May I crave a small space in your most' valuable paper, regarding the visit of von Luekner? I cannot understand all this fuss and bother. After all, he is nobody and has done nothing to crow about. His adventures during the war are nothing to be proud of, even if he can handle a boat. He tells of his capture and escape, but nothing of his recapture; also his treasure trove. Now he is trying to make a fortune out of New Zealandcrs who have more money than sense, paying 2s and 3s to go

and hear him crowing. How about one of our British generals going over to Germany and crowing about how we won the war, etc? Hitler and his crowd would soon tell him to move on, and that is what should be done with von Luckner. What is the reason of his tour? It is all very well to try and throw dust in peoples eyes. lie is on holiday, yes; and pleasure. It another war yes; business and pleasure. If another war broke out between Germany and Britain, the knowledge of our guest about the army and navy of New Zealand, to say nothing of other things, would be very helpful to Hitler. Von Luckner would be one of the first to go against us. He has the run of the country, no questions asked, and can pry into everything. What about the torture of British soldiers who fell into the hands of the German during the war: the sinking of unarmed ships, bombing of hospitals, etc. Von Luckner is not responsible for that, perhaps, but still the old saying is quite true: Once a German, always a German. I had members of my family killed and two were nearly insane from treatment they received from the Hun. Can you wonder that 1 am not a friend of any Germans? lam British and proud of it. I wonder what Gisborne R.S.A. think of him? If they are true to their King and country, they will tell him to go elsewhere with his fairv tales.—Yours, etc., TRUE-BLUE.

Sir, —I note that you have a number of correspondents who take exception to Count von Luckner's visit to New Zealand on account of the part played by him in the late war. I wonder what attitude they take with respect to the exploits of Drake, Frobisher, Hawkins and hosts of other privateers of that age in sinking on sight Spanish ships of all descriptions engaged in the ordinary peaceful purposes of trade, of course after stripping them of anything of value. According to what we are generally given to understand, these men were worthy of our highest admiration and respect, and in many ways they do really justify the encomiums passed on them by posterity. However, let us look a little more closely into the position. It appears to me that there are some aspects that are usually and conveniently deliberately suppressed, glossed over or ignored; first there was no official war declared between Spain and England at the time; second, the actions of capturing, robbing, and sinking of vessels engaged in the ordinary trade in times of peace were, therefore, nothing more nor less than piracy; and third, that both sides gave unofficial sanction to the actions of their respective countrymen in this private vendetta. Of course, I am aware that to classify such national heroes as Drake and his contemporaries as pirates would hurt the pride and patriotic sensibilities of your correspondents, but that I cannot help. Coming now down to our present age when such things are not supposed to happen, and concerning the exploits of Count von Luckner, do your correspondents not realise that when the nations appeal to the arbitration of war, there are no rules of warfare that are respected by either side; there is no law but that of the jungle? If the Allies did not sink any ships belonging to the Germans, it was not because of lack of will, but rather'to lack of opportunity. I very much doubt if either side in the conflict had much advantage over the other in the methods adopted in that hideous and senseless struggle. Finally allow me to make the following quotation, somewhat ancient, perhaps, but which nevertheless appears to me to be more or less apropos: "Cast out first the beam but of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."—Yours, etc., COMMON SENSE.