The Timaru Herald SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1938 REACTIONS TO UNITED STATES OPINION.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21180, 29 October 1938, Page 8

The Timaru Herald SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1938 REACTIONS TO UNITED STATES OPINION.

Until the international horizon clears a little it will not be possible to assess the significance of the American Note to Japan following so soon after President Roosevelt’s stinging denunciation of the aggressive policy of totalitarian states. It is true that the President did not specifically mention Japan or one of the other aggressor nations, but no one can contemplate the declaration of the defence of democracy that runs through the President’s challenging broadcast, without realising the incisiveness of his denunciation of dictatorships and all their sinister actions:

“Our business now is to utilise the desire for peace to build on principles, which are the only basis of permanent peace,” insists Mr Roosevelt. “There can be no peace if the reign of law is to be replaced by the recurrent sanctification of sheer force. There can be no peace if national policy adopts, as a deliberate instrument, the threat of war or the dispersion over the world of millions of helpless and persecuted wanderers, without a place to lay their heads. There can be no peace if humble men and womerl are not free to think their own thoughts, express their own feelings, worship God, or if the economic resources that ought to be devoted to social and economic reconstruction are diverted towards Intensified competition In armaments."

That the totalitarian Powers realise that President Roosevelt had them in mind when he spoke is demonstrated by the sharpness of European reaction (expressed in the suppression of the speech) to the American reminder to aggressor countries that the United States stands firm in defence of democracy against the gathering forces and influences in the world that puts its trust in force as the arbiter in international affairs. It is encouraging, moreover, that the President’s powerful denunciation of what he regards as the futilely sinister attempts to “organise civilisation around a core of militarism,” should be followed with a sharp reminder to

Japan, embodied in what the cable messages describe as “a forceful and bluntly worded Note” to Japan that is designed to remind aggressive Nippon that Western nations are not without rights in China. It may be said, by way of rejoinder, that nations that put their trust in the sword are not likely to pay much attention even to great nations that seize upon z every opportunity to declare their isolationism. Nevertheless, the pronouncements by the President, warning dictators that the great United States Republic cherishes democratic ideals, synchronising with the sharply worded Note the United States has officially addressed to covetous and aggressive Japan, though not apparently very effective in themselves, would appear to suggest that White Ilouse may yet accept its share in the almost overwhelming task that has hitherto been borne by the other democracies in saving the world from a plunge into another war.

SHRINKAGE OF STERLING EXCHANGE. When The Sydney Morning Herald declared in summing up the factors that contributed to the victory of the Labour Party, that “New Zealand’s economy is so dependent on her primary exports that upon their value will rest to a vital degree the prosperity of the country and the consequent fate of the Government’s programme,” the paper gave the explanation of the rapid shrinkage of sterling exchange in London. “Mr Savage may blithely talk of ‘insulating’ the country from a fall in overseas prices,” said the Sydney journal, “but he has been unable to ‘insulate’ sheep growers against a loss of £6,000,000 in last year’s wool cheque.” This fall is now reflected in the gathering weakness of the exchange position which has been further undermined within the past few days by nearly a million pounds. The fall of funds in London is indicative of large overseas commitments on behalf of New Zealand and, or, a movement of capital from these shores. This drain on New Zealand’s London funds, which is a source of uneasiness in financial circles in the Dominion, has been the dominant note of comment in London following the return of the Government to office. In the past few weeks the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s sterling balances have fallen below £9,000,000 (New Zealand currency or nearly one-fifth less in sterling) for the first time and, with the value of exports at a low level and the flow of imports still high, fears are entertained that a recovery is impossible without some arbitrary adjustment.

People’s day at the show. In spite of modern counter attractions which year by year grow in number, the South Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Shows steadily maintain a defintie popularity, and there will be to-day, with weather conditions permitting, as much or more interest taken in People’s Day at the Timaru Show as there was when it was first held 73 years ago. That such should be the case, says much for the careful preparations undertaken by those who often work unsung and unseen to make the yearly event worthy of a fertile district. Visitors to a show can inspect the best stock and produce presented by our rural industries; they can make comparisons, and, depending on their knowledge and vocations, they can judge entries already competently judged. The visitor can be critical, but he will doubtless often be surprised at what human ingenuity in co-operation with Nature, can produce. Should the visitor be a farmer, he can perhaps, from what he has seen, learn something from his show experiences; if he belongs to town, he will find first class samples of work of the people in the country, and he should be in a position to appreciate all the more fully, the difficulties and the interests of the man on the land. To stage an agricultural and pastoral exhibition which will fill the foregoing requirements, an energetic committee is necessary—and in that respect, as the annual display always proves, the Timaru Agricultural and Pastoral Association is particularly fortunate. Behind the committee, there must be a large number of interested and enthusiastic exhibitors to fill the Stock pens and the produce shelves; the very essential work done by those who compete in a show, often requires a year or more for its successful accomplishment, and by the casual and uninformed observer, it is not always appreciated. Whether he should win a prize or not, each exhibitor in a show has contributed towards its interest and its extensiveness; if non-prize winning exhibits were immediately after judging, removed from a show, its appeal would pale, for a show is not made up of prize-winning exhibits, it is made up of all exhibits. But without generous public support the show would fail. Everything considered, those connected with the Timaru Show, have thoroughly earned fine weather to attract a large attendance for People’s Day, so that still another interesting and well-planned fixture can go on to the show records as an unqualified success.