PLEASURE IN WAR TIME

Southland Times, Issue 24161, 25 June 1940, Page 3

PLEASURE IN WAR TIME

To The Editor Sir, —On opening your paper on Saturday morning, I felt depressed when I read the sad epitome of the position in France expressed by the old soldier and President of France. No one could be more justified than he in giving utterance to such words. He had been a valiant soldier and had showed his love for his country by accepting at 83 years of age the highest honour his country could offer him. As he surveyed the progress of events, he was forced to express himself in these words: “France lost the war because pleasure was placed before sacrifice and duty.” Can we understand the meaning of such words? If not, we should try to comprehend their meaning in all its fullness. Is there not a lesson for our nation in the words of this old soldier. France is not the only nation which has gone down for the same reason. Greece and Rome with all their culture and learning passed from their greatness to the position of second-rate nations. Can not our own people, those who live in God’s own country, New Zealand, learn a lesson before it is too late? Yes, if we only wake up in time, we too may profit. Unless our workers rise and shake off the lethargy that has possessed them, we too must go down. In many parts of our land, the tendency on the part of a lot of workers is to go slow. Appeals are made by the Government urging them to work harder, and if the workers respond for a short time, they are praised like spoiled children. Then if there is a race meeting or similar function being held, all work must stop in order that they may attend. It appears today as if the sense of responsibility had disappeared and given place to a love of pleasure and ease. Then we have our huge accounts for alcoholic liquors and tobacco, amounting to many millions—money absolutely wasted. The German soldier is taught that these things are injurious to him as a soldier and he is expected to abstain from using them. Hence his ability as a soldier in this war.

- Take again the love of pleasure expressed in dancing, a pastime which our Government has had to control by legislation. I refer to the law making it an offence to take drink near a dance hall. In your issue of June 22 there are 24 announcements of dances to be held. In these days of anxiety and stress, can we live a butterfly existence when so much of our nation’s blood is being spilled to help a country that has gone under through a love of pleasure? Many of these dances are held on Saturday nights, when the clock is put back an hour or two in order that the dance may be continued in the early hours of the Sabbath day. “On, with the dance” is being said to day as of old, and sad to say, these dances are being run and attended by some of the best specimens of our young manhood. Why are they not fighting their country’s battles? They prefer a life of pleasure to doing their duty.—Yours, PATRIOT. June 22, 1940.

To The Editor Sir, —I read the criticism of the Press by a correspondent in Saturday's issue and your long reply to it. While I do not hold with your correspondent that all press publications are conducted with a view to increased circulation and indirect increase of revenue, there are a great many of your readers who will agree with his views that a lot of what is published, as he says, is “empty, useless piffle,” which not only takes up the time and work of your staff in printing but uses up a lot of unnecessary paper. We are not taking our position seriously enough. As he says, England has awakened, but New Zealand and Australia are still half asleep. The majority are still indifferent and rush after their own pleasure. In the very same issue there were no fewer, than 20 advertisement notices of balls and dances in and around Invercargill. So did Nero fiddle while Rome burned. We see our women drift back to paganism. If they think that drinking, smoking, vermillioned lips, pencilled eye brows, painted cheeks and ornaments dangling from their ears make them more attractive then the sooner they become disillusioned the better. Of the young, able-bodied men the majority are enjoying themselves quite unconcerned. They are working

only an easy five days a week and using what should be one working day a week for sport and pleasure. I would suggest that they leave this to the school boys and get to work on Saturdays for the saving of our country by taking military training and increasing production.

There is a proposal on foot at present to grow linen flax. They could give their spare time to that industry. There are many acres of vacant sections and reserves that could be prepared and sown by them on holidays gratis. There is a big area of some 50 or more acres of Maori reserve just over east boundary road that is at present growing gorse. This block would be admirably suited for the growing of flax. It is reported that von Luckner when he returned to Germany from his tour of inspection of New Zealand said that the New Zealanders were an easy going, indolent people with a country of great possibilities. The clarion call now is: Awake, more work, less pleasure; above all, humiliation and a return to Christianity and an acknowledgement of our failings and weakness and of God’s power and mercy.—Yours, etc., EX-SOLDIER. June 24, 1940.