THE FIFTH COLUMNIST

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 48, 16 February 1943, Page 4

THE FIFTH COLUMNIST

Sir,—"The problem now perplexing mankind is to discover by what flaws in our system has it, come about that the world, never better equipped bath in knowledge and machinery is forced to see sb much of that knowledge and machinery lying idle whilst millions of workers are unemployed and. out . of work." Thus spoke the London Times in November 1932. To-day there is a Fifth Columnist attempting to strangle the British war effort—his. name is, post-war fear. The propagators of this fear complex are amongsit the financial elements which are placing a perversely high valuation on money /as against goods. The world to-day is showing an unmistakeable tendency to argule that if a thing, is: phvsical-= ly possible, Avhether we: be fighting a war or removing unemployment, it must not be stopped by consideration of "Sound Finance" alone. Fear of a slump is therefore based 011 present .day economics rather than physical prospects, and with the removal of economic faults there seems no reason why standards and general l prosperity should: not reach apd remain at new heights. These faults can be obliterated by putting in representatives of the people who are pledged to use the. national credit free from the corruption of foreign finance. Yours etc.,, W. BRADSHAW.