VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

Taranaki Daily News, 14 September 1934, Page 7

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

VIEWS ON CURRENT TOPICS “PEACE AT ANY PRICE” POLICY. CHALLENGE TO MISS ANDREWS. (To the Editor). Sir,—lt is pathetic to think that people with a standing like that of Miss Andrews should have such hopeless ideas of maintaining peace, and that there are others who admire them. . Over 99 per cent, of the people of the British Empire desire peace, and we are enjoying it today only because our leaders are realists and not sentimental dreamers. There are many foreign races to-day, numbering tens of millions, whose religion tells them it is right to fight. Many of them are uncivilised, well-armed savages. Suppose the Southern European countries adopted Miss Andrews’ principles to-morrow, and completely disarmed. What would be the result? They would immediately be raided, robbed and murdered by Riffs and .Moors from North Africa. Women and children would be carried off and sold in slavery in Africa. If any men objected to this and banded together and fought to save their women and children from a fate worse than death they would be wrong in the eyes of Miss Andrews and company, and could starve or bleed to death from wounds. Miss Andews,' according to her own words, would rather go to gaol arid die! if necessary, than help them. What a price she would have others > pay for an ideal the attainment of which, would be further off after the sacrifice. There is only one race to-day that has: peace. It is the ; Eskimos. That is because they have no riches, and live in a land that no one else wants to live in. I am, etc., PEACE WITH THE RIGHT SPIRIT Fitzroy, September-12. - DEFENCE OF OUR COUNTRY. (To the Editor).Sir,—Much has been printed in our. papers of late anent peace. A recent let-; ter applauds Miss Andrews as being “at least one woman in Taranaki who holds some sound convictions.” I would plead that some others may hold “sound con-, victions” also, not necessarily slavishly for peace. World peace! Yes! We all cry for world peace! . r I still believe that we in New Zea-. land are part of the greatest nation on earth —greatest in tolerance and freedom, of its subjects and in pride of independence. England has ever been the defender rather than the aggressor, and I would not have my sori—l have a son—meekly allow our wonderful nation to become subject to any other nation oh earth, and himself thereafter made a soldier to defend, that alien nation,’without exerting his every effort first to defend the honour and glory of our own, “home and country.” Russia’s peace policy is to make her armaments and defences so great that, all other nations will be afraid to at-: tack, and in her Communistic publican tions circulating in this country she declares that just so long will her peace policy continue—no longer. It is almost needless to preach peace to British mothers, but do not let us be lulled to sleep in false security lest we be caught defenceless.—l am, etc., • V C. A. HUNT. Stratford, Sept. 11. CLOSEY—SHEAT DEBATE. (To the Editor). Sir,—The debate at Hawera last week on the Douglas economic proposals was entertaining insomuch as it showed what two experienced debaters could make of poor building materials. CoL Closey and .Mr. Sheat certainly have. much.in common. They both appear to believe that the present depression was brought about by the machinations of financiers to further their own nefarious purposes. If that was the case then veritably they have been hoist by their own petard as they have, comparatively speaking, suffered as much as a class as any other. If as it has been suggested, Mr. Sheat’s public appearances are a prelude to his electioneering campaign, it is about time he enlightened his embryo electorate as to how his proposals could be carried into effect, e.g., his obsession about the Bank > of New Zealand and its £40,000,000 fixed deposits, which he says should be divided out to the people as purchasing power.As to how this is to be done he isstrangely silent. Also, how is the pur-; chasing power once in the right hands, to be kept there? Until Mr. Sheat can evolve some constructive policy, I suggest that his forensic abilities could be more profitably devoted to another sphere. I would suggest to the Douglasites, Sheatites, etc., that the chief cause' of our present economic evils is international trade stagnation through the building up of trade barriers, and .until we can have international free trade we shall have to go on taking “pills.” The stumbling block of course is the fear of dumping by a nation producing goods for export by means of. subsidies'or sweated labour. Could this not be prevented by setting up a tribunal consisting of the representatives of all the nations? This tribunal would have absolute arbitrary powers to prohibit a country exporting goods which that country had beeh found to be producing uneconomically. It is suggested that we are suffering from an overburden of debt. That may be so, but once the wheels of commerce- are working smoothly that should not cause undue anxiety. Is it generally .realised that the sum of £10,000,000 (a mere'bagatelle even, in these times) , accumulating at compound interest at 5 per cent, would amount to nearly £100,000,000,000 in 200 years, enough to pay England’s national debt 12 times?—l am, etc., E. C. D. HENWOOD. • Manaia, September 13.