UNDERCURRENTS

Waikato Times, Volume 118, Issue 19633, 20 July 1935, Page 22 (Supplement)

UNDERCURRENTS

IN THE DRIFT OF LIFE. (By “ Gleaner.") IN DEMAND. Heading in Times: 11 Demand for Pi s s." —And wc were always under the impression lhal Mussolini was not 100 popular in European diplomatic, circles just now! * * * * THREAT TO DIPLOMACY. After “ Gleaner ” had written the above paragraph someone looked over his shoulder and remarked that it might cause a diplomatic breach, or even result in an Ultimatum from Italy to New Zealand. Well, “ Gleaner” thinks it would he rather thrilling to 1)0 responsible for a sharp Note or While Paper or whatever it is the great Powers issue when they gel hot under the collar. Which reminds "Gleaner" of the editor of an obscure southern bi-weekly paper after the war who started an editorial something like this —“We have always warned the Czar about the folly of ■his conduct, etc." * » 4. * THESE “ FRONTIER INCIDENTS." Already I here have been several “frontier incidents” reported in connection with the Italo-Abyssinian dispute, as we knew there would be. There always are. Usually the country whose national has been cut to ribbons or horribly mutilated in the incident considers that, its “nation.d honour" has been gravely impugned. Somclimj's the formality of sending the aforesaid sharp Note and demand for apology and compensation is dispensed with and war is declared forthwith. And patriotic, thousands will applaud the action of the aggressive govern- | ment to defend the ‘'national honour." We all know that the frontier incidents are not the eause of war. hut they do seem to he a pretty effective excuse. To "Gleaner's" mind the life of no man (even if he has been cut, to ribbons) is worth plunging a nation, and possibly tho entire world, iutq a hell

which would threaten all Western Civilisation. National dishonour would be a better term for that. Not that Abyssinian gentlemen with a passion for carving up human tlesli should bo encouragvd. 'l'liey should not, and 1 neither should British admirals with a desire to see our already colossal defence expenditure added lo by a few millions, bill there are two ways of dealing with the problem. WHAT MUSSOLINI SAID. There may .still 'be some people wondering what Gladstone really did say in JSSB but what strikes “Gleaner ” as highly significant in view of recent cable news is what Benito Mussolini said on May 27, 193 1. Let. it be quoted: “I absolutely disbelieve in perpetual peace, if is detrimental and negative to the fundamental virtues of man. (inly bloody effort can reveal j the great qualities of peoples and of the human soul. War is lo man what childbirth is to woman." Can we detect a faint burst of applause from the 2,000,000 of maimed, mutilated or insane survivors of 191-1-18, from the 150,000,000 worklcss and poverty-stricken throughout the universe, from many more millions of young men and women faced with a hopeless outlook, and from llie world's mothers —or are we mistaken? * * * * A NEW MENACE. No sooner has (lie fear of quotas and levies on our meat been disposed of when a new menace rears its ugly bead lo Ihrealen our national security. J Under a large black heading “ Ant Egg \ Danger” a city contemporary attempts j lo work tip a real scare over the ini- J porlation of ant eggs as goldfish food, i It is feared that the eggs may hatch I out and apparently rreale widespread havoc and ruin, though just how is not | mentioned. Alsalians and while but- | terilies pale into insignificance com- I pared with this encroaching terror. Let, the forces of law, order and sanity unite lo protect the public from this new Frankenstein in our midst. ANT EGGS AND GOLDFISH. Permission to import live ants’ eggs lias lo he obtained from (lie Internal Affairs Department. " Gleaner" can- | not understand why our over-resource- | in! Government, has nol singled out j Ibis thriving industry for taxation • purposes. Protective tariffs, customs j

duties, super-tax, surtax and primage on imported ants’ eggs would be a help. This should be followed up with an Order-in-Council Imposing a heavy license fee on goldfish owners. By the 1 lime a Goldlish Board and an army of inspectors has been appointed the Great Ant Egg Danger should be a thing of the past. * • « F ARE FOOTBALLERS EDIBLE? Something novel in the way of accidents was reported in a paragraph from Tc Here the other day: “ A slight mishap occurred in (he school grounds when football was aL its height. Master—and Master—stumbled, and in a collision, a broken piece of the latter’s toolh was found embedded in the former's forehead.” This should do much to foster the impression, widely held in England, lhal New Zealanders j are still a race of cannibals. Anyway, hero is a hinl for the Hamilton Rugby Union; wo understand there lias been a great demand for brighter football. •i* * * * CHILDREN AND THE CINEMA. Last week “ Gleaner ” quoted from a League of Nations Commission report on child welfare. The report in question has an important section dealing with “The Recreational Aspect of the 'Cinematograph for Young People.” There is no doubt that the cinema has come to slay and has established itself as Ihe principal entertainment of both children and adults. The League’s ■committees set themselves to Ihe as■ccrlainment of facts over a wide area i and any investigations which supply ! reliable information must he of great j and increasing value. It is known that •tho cinema lias profound effects, some of them highly undesirable. R’lie only satisfactory approach lo the producer I for Ihe elimination of undesirable dims | and more particularly for Die subslijlulion of thoroughly desirable, ones is | llml which comes with full information j and effective public demand. The organisation of film soeielies which will stimulate public opinion and represent tho public in ils demand for clean and artistic 111 ms is overdue. * * » * FEW JUVENILE FILMS. Regarding Ihe provision of special j films for children the following extracts I will surprise many: “Except for a j few attempts lo screen children’s ' .stories, fables, elr. (e.g. Ilans Ander- | sen, Grimm), and the serials and

"westerns" which arc at least partly i intended for the young, no special I films have been or arc being produced for children, otherwise than purely instructional ones. Whore pictures based on children’s classics (“ Alice in Wonderland”, " Treasure Island”, etc.,) arc produced, they arc principally designed for the adult public, and their appeal is, from the producers’ point of view, largely incidental and accidental. The same is true of tho universal popular Silly Symphonies and Mickey .Mouse cartoons.” From U.3.A. it Is reported that there has been little effort to make 111 ms i exclusively for the young. Particular I reference is made, however, lo llie cartoons of Walt Disney, whose "works of genius must surely constitute an international appeal to children." A sentiment, with which we will all very heartily agree. While on this subject, a member of I he recent Waikato Synod complained that publicity issued in connection with the film " Clive of India” emphasised sex appeal rather than tho historical appeal.