Dear Sir,

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 23, 13 November 1945, Page 4

Dear Sir,

Letters to the Editor must be clearly written on one side of the paper only and where a no Hi-de-plume is used the name of the writer must be included for reference purposes. The Editor reserves the right to amend or withhold any letter or letters.

WHITHER BOUND HUMANITY Sir, —A letter entitled "Whither Bound Humanity?" which appeared in your columns raised several interesting points. The first is the breakdown in the Conference of Foreign Ministers. The writer states: '"What we hold to lie a government of fear or terror the Russians declare. is> demoeracy." The British and American delegates said there was a lack of democracy in the Eastern European countries. As Molotov pointed out: "In Rumania, Bulgaria and Hungary democratic governments exist which have the confidence of the over, whelming majority of the peoples of those countries." Surely 1 that is the essence of democracy. He went on to point out that his statement was confirmed by the actions of these governments both in home and foreign policies. There is no doubt that the. outcry about lack of democracy was raised in order to divert attention from such countries as Greecc, India and Indonesia where British soldiers '9 are being used to impose governments on the people, and where the will of the majority of the people is being defied. The second point is the writer's classing of Germany, Italy and Rus. sia together as "socialist. Germany and Italy w T ere still capitalist—the means of production were still privately owned—but the biggest capitalists had banded together. - They were dictatorships of the most reactionary sections of finance capital in the interests of a handful of people. In Russia, on the other hand, where- ijrivate ownership of the means of production has been overthrown. the socialist state governs in the interests of the great mass of the people. Surely that is not either anti-democratic nor antiChristian.

The third point is the writer's statement that "you cannot keep changing the economic system from private •'ownership to public owner, ship and then back again." Public ownership, or State control does not necessarily mean socialism as the writer seems to think. In a socialist State it does ? in a capitalist State it does not. Our schools and post offices for example are run by the State. Would the writer like to see them go back to be run by private individuals for private profit? Planning is becoming a necessary component of every modern State and for that a centralised authority is needed. Surely it is better that the centralised authority be the 1 socialist State ? planning for the good of the great majority of the pe.ople t than tbat it be. the capitalist State planning for the reaping of super profits by a handful of individuals. From a study of this letter it appears that the writer's "objective and fundamental truths" are in reality extremely personal prejudices. Yours etc. J Secretariat Communist Party Edgecumbe Branch.

WHITHER BOUND HUMANITY ?

Sir, —Your correspondent Mr Mayow starts from a fundamental error so common today in that he assumes that the system which he and so, many desire to usher in is a new system. This is the crux of the problem. The system of economic controls is the oldest system ever known and it was only abolished in some countries just over 100 years ago. The new system is economic freedom or free enterprise and its ' restoration is a condition precedent to peace and an ever increasing standard of living. We all seem to forget that the only countries that have ever become democracies. are th'e only countries that evolved free for no people can have any power or control of government or rulers except un|[er a system of free enterprise. The very reason why all these non-demo-cratic countries are not democratic is because their economic system—

. not being free enterprise—has prevented the people from acquiring the power. We overlook the fac« that the democracies do not go to war with each other. This is all becausc their economic systems of free enterprise work for peace and have to be changed in order to enable them to wage war. It is rather strange to argue that we must scrap a system which is new, which brought more progress in 100 years than was ever dreamed possible r brought the highest standard, of living ever known in those countries which have adopted and, bes;t of all, brought peace between these countries. Strange that we should desire to return to the system which wherever adopted has resulted in poverty slavery and the brutal suppression of all human freedoms. It is interesting to note in Saturday's cablegrams that Vernon Bartlett a Socialist, declares it is not possible to co-operate with Russia. Day by day it is becoming more obvious that Fascism is just pure socialism or economic planning and that the greatest enemies of civilisation are the so-called the Socialists, for a Socialist State can only be preserved by Fascist methv* ods. Yours etc._ M. DARRAIT.