WHITHER BOUND HUMANITY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 27, 27 November 1945, Page 4

WHITHER BOUND HUMANITY

Sir, —Mr Darran seems to be be-+ coming a regular correspondent toour local paper. It would, be interesting to learn where he lives as name does not seem to be familiar in lliis district. We had another a certain Mr Gilmour } of who inserted equally misleading propoganda in the Bea r coi'i under the nom-de-plume of "Britisher" who put identical letters into other country papers including those of Opoti'ki and. Te Aroha. If our public .were truly informed about world afl'airs anil economics they; would know that statements suchas these men are circulating are merely examples of wishful thinking by the small minority who by owning most of this world's have the whip hand over the great majority who own little or more. As this Avealthy minority owns and controls tbc big daily' papers, most of the news, we read is distorted or

composed of half with the vital information left out altogether if it docs not suit big business. Quite a lot of it later proves to be all hooey but of course if the public swallows it it is a profitable insurance against justice to the have-> nots- Much of this news as it is dished out to us is like the plausable advertisements of poisonous patent medicines that make millionaires of those who put them out and damage the health of those who fall for them. Mr Darran's claim that British foreign policy is founded on Christian principles is a dreadful slur on. Christianity and like his other statements quite contrary to facts. Up till now it lias been based on profitable investments and has largely consisted of the appeasement of such peoples as the Japs ? the Fascists, the Nazis and Franeo s while they perpetrated atrocities on the Chinese Abyssinians etc. fn fact it is based on the prin-

ciples ol' the Pharisees as described in St. Matthew 23, and many other places in' the New Testament. Just now the Atlantic Charter is getting badly torn. Of course the British public would not stand lor these injustices if they were told all the truth and nothing but the truth. We have not become democratic enough for that yet, but like Mr J. B. Priestly more and more of us are in favour of transforming the British Empire into something nearer to what it pretends to be. I notice that Mr P. Ard.ath has joined the team for propaganda for free enterprise and against tlve U.S.S.R. His letter reminds one of Rip Van Winkle. He evidently lias not awakened to the fact that, free enterprise has been increasingly strangled over the last 50 years byt the trusts combines cartels etc. organised by big business. That is why many of us prefer State Con-

trol in whicb we have some say to taking orders from financiers and monopolies. The only fredom they would leave us is the freedom to starve if we did not come to heel. ' When we learn to co-operate truly we can control ourselves but that seems a very hard lesson to most people who have been steeped in rugged individualism. Of course just now restrictions and controls must be. particularly exasperating to those who know that without them they could make so much good: money by exploiting the common soldiers and workers who by their blood tears and sweat have made our victory possible. Yours etc., ' C. J.' HALLETT.