Dear Sir,

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 31, 30 September 1946, Page 4

Dear Sir,

Letters to the Editor must be clearly written on one side of the paper only and where a nom-de-plume is used the name of the writer must be included for reference purposes. The Editor reserves the right to abridge, amend or withhold any letter or letters. THE HAND THAT GUIDES OUR DESTINY Sir, —Will Russia dominate Europe? Can Stalin succeed'Where Hitler failed? The trend of events since the close of World War 11. has led many people to believe, that the chief result of the Global conflict, will prove to be a transference of the seat of power in Europe from Berlin to Moscow, that one dictatorship will be replaced by another, and that where Hitler failed in his plan to dominate the Continent Stalin will succeed Certainly there is abundance of evidence that Russia has emerged from the war stronger than when she entered. After her armies were driven back to the Volga, they swept forward to regain the Baltic States, seize East Prussia and meet the Western Allies in the heart of Berlin.

Today Russia dominates Finland, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Rumania, Bulgaria, indeed all the smaller countries from the Arctic Ocean to the Black Sea, and already bringing heavy pressure upon Turkey for territorial and other concessions. She has pressure on Iran by continued occupation of the northern province. It has been the great aim of Russian foreign policy during the nineteenth century to reach the Mediterranean via the Persian Gulf. If we are still in the world of politics, and who shall say we are not, the arguments that held in 1880 still hold today, there is no doubt that Soviet Union is determined to become a' Mediterranean power. Undoubtedly we are going to hear more of Russia’s Imperialism in the very near future. But what of this fear, that v she might succeed where Hitler failed that when America and Britain’s forces are weary of their occupational obligations Russia will take over and rule the continent from Moscow. In the light of Bible Prophecy, we state categorically that such a plan is foredoomed to failure, if it is in the minds of the statesmen of the Kremlin, they would be well advised to abandon it forthwith. God has spoken against it (Book of Daniel chapter 2 verse 43) those solemn words of Scripture have ordered Europe’s destiny for a thousand years or more, seven words that have broken many a Conqueror and brought their proud schemes to nought. These seven words defeated Hitler and brought the Nazi plan for world domination crushing, in ruin. Those seven words fought with .the gallant band who won the battle of Britain, they mingled with the fog that saved the day at Dunkirk, they moved forward with Paton’s* tanks on the day of the great invasion, they marched beside every soldier of the advancing army, they dropped earthward with the gigantic block busters that tore the heart out of every resistance. They were in Rome when Mussolini announced with pomp the birth of a new Roman Empire, they were there, in that blood spattered market place in Northern Italy, where the sordid sawdust Caesar once hung ignominiously upside down before the people he once claimed to rule. They were in Nuremberg when Hitler claimed he would found an Epipire that would last a thousand years and they were in the concrete cave beneath Berlin when he and his henchmen, paving destroyed the Continent destroyed themselves. Always, everywhere, above the dim and clamour of battle they could be heard heralding the dom of dictatorship. Those seven words are: “They shall not cleave one to another” and any one who tries to break them is doomed to failure.

No matter what his nationality be German or Italian, Spanish or Russian, they are doomed to failure. He may achieve temporary triumphs, he may overrun most of the Continent, he may shift boundary lines and set up puppet Governments, he may boast that this objectives, have been attained, that total victory is his. Yet along the trail of his conquest there will grow up and accumulate forces that will ultimately destroy him. As the stars in their courses' fought against Sisera, so countless invisable forces will combine to thwart his purposes (Judges, Chapter 5, Verse 20). Defying such men to do their worst, the seven mighty

words of the ancient prophecy still flash in letters of fire across the storm clouds of these turbulent times. “They shall not cleave one to another” so says the Book of David Chapter 2, Verse 43. Yours etc., R. RUDDICK. LOCAL GOVERNMENT “CENTRALISED” Sir, —When speaking on the Local Government Bill (1.8.46) Mr Smith (Bay of Islands) said: There has never been Free Hospitals; and never will be- But why tax the land twice? The Member for Onehunga (Government) says: Councils should not be subject to the whims and fancies of the ratepayers of taxes. It is vuite clear that the t amalgamation of Municipal Councils under Government control, would take away the rights of appeal, and place the house and land owner just where the Government wants them “in the servile State.” Mr Massey (Hauraki) says: If a forced amalgamation; it would be dictatorship. Mr Fraser and Mr Nash having refused to accept the decisions of the Local Bodies Commission. Mr Nash speaking on hospital rating refused to take off the rates,, as it would raise the values on land sales? Production is the source of values; then why ask for production and tax the producer out of production. You cannot have it both ways; only in the servile state would you be asked to make bricks without straw.

How does Centralised Government effect the freedom of the people? In the first place it is despotic; taking away the rights of the people to economic freedom of choice; as against debt servitude and forced production (full employment) which automatically reverts to manpower which means economic slavery, whether under totalitarian or bur--eaucratic control. On the other hand, with Local Government the de-centralised control of ‘local bodies’ gives the people the right of choice, as to the ways and means towards the fulfilment of .the improvement of this country as an economic whole. Do we realise that corporations and cartels can ' become a military dictatorship, and can be quite in order, as the oHn. Peter Fraser said: When passing the Local Bodies Amendment Bill, in a reply to the Leader the Opposition he was not going to allow any bill to be passed through the House that did not suit. him. This was in spite of the unanimous decision of the Royal Commission. Thus we are being deprived of the “Magna Charter”, the charter of a free people* Yours etc., W. BRADSHAW.