GREAT BRITAIN AND SELF-STYLED CRITICS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18643, 24 December 1928, Page 8

GREAT BRITAIN AND SELF-STYLED CRITICS.

To the Editor. Dear Sir, —It appears, from recent correspondence, that a nation is to be judged by the state of its racecourses; that New Zealand is a finer country than England because her racing facilities are to a certain extent better than those of the Homeland! Truly, a remarkable criticism. The absurdity of the thing is obvious; were it not for its utter unfairness it would not be worth noticing. It is time that New Zealanders ceased to regard as infallible judges colonials who make comparatively brief tours of Great Britain, and straightway broadcast superficial comments on the social, economic and political state of the Mother Country. I defy anyone to give a just and balanced description of conditions in Britain to-day unless he has spent several years in the country, and has studied existing problems from many and widely varying points of view. For instance, it is one thing to condemn the Unemployment Insurance system, and to speak scathingly of the “ dole ” an unfortunate term that should never have been applied to the scheme—and quite another to understand the circumstances surrounding unemployment in Britain.

I agree with your correspondent who said that many of these people so energetically occupied in defaming Great Britain are only seeking the public eye. Unfortunately their statements are not only recorded in the Press, but are frequently quoted as the words of authorities. Regarded in this light, they work untold harm in lowering the prestige of Great Britain in her own Empire, and in foreign countries. To anyone who has watched postwar developments in Britain, it is obvious that the nation is coming with flying colours out of the bitterest period in her history. She poured out her wealth and strength in the Great War with no thought of gain; if any nation can claim credit for the victory, it is the homeland of the British race. And to-day, when America is reaping the profits'of her selfish and weak aloofness in the 1914-17 period, England is paying her debt to Shylock to the uttermost farthing.

The war left Britain with her industries shattered and her trade crippled. Her European markets were dead. Yet without even a momentary loss of courage she set to work to fight foreign competition, unemployment and a crushing debt. The fact that to-day she “ is still the envy of every great Power and the hope of every small one ” is proof that she has succeeded. Not another nation on earth could have survived the staggering blows England has sustained in the last fourteen years; nevertheless, she is yet the one Power greater than America with all her wealth.

Were these local “critics” who are condemning Goodwood and Doncaster to lend their energies to furthering the consumption of British products in this Dominion, and to helping to divert the stream of New Zealand money from America to the factories of the Motherland, something might be done to cure that unemployment disease they regard as such a stigma. England is sound, and her people are hopeful for the future. The least her colonies can do is to put a stop to the needless and unreasonable talk that frequently indicates that England is “ done.” If the English people have reason for optimism, there is no reason for the ■Empire to despair of her future.—l am, etc., J.K.S.