THE ABUSE OF LIBERTY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 287, 28 August 1920, Page 7

THE ABUSE OF LIBERTY

WELFARE LEAGUE'S REPLY.

Sir—Your correspondent, Mr. Philip King, seems to think the leaguo is hard on him in charging him with "literary iueani'jy." Well, wiiat is his complaiint. If a man who volunteered and was willing to die for the "liberty" of the Britisn Empire (Mr; King's description* of himself) rushes into print to excuse aiid defend those traitorous persons who pray for Hie break-up of. tho Empire, and glory in tho thought of its disruption, la not suffering irom .literary madness, what in the name of common-sense is the matter with him? He asks us \k> state ifliere in his letter he abuses the British. Empire, ami defames its institutions, Nothing is easier. When he suggests that to pray for the <break-up ot the present British Empira.is not "disloyal," he not only abuses the Eiupirfc but at the same timo abuses the yery "liberty no was prepared to die for. When lis charges tile Empire with a whole string of crimes (without proof), and sums up by saying an Empire such as that "does not require breaking up, it has already reached an advanced stago of decomposition, " he is most, grossly abusing the Empire. When ha wrote: "I want to say. that tie bloodstains on the grand old Union Jack have quite obliterated the whi'tte and blue" he is'falsely insulting the lk>& °f his country, and defaming tho institutions it represents. To be very plain, it is a mean action to traduce a country- by gross implications, and then have the cool effrontery to ask where you abused the country. The motif, (ho •tone, the charges, and gross jcflsctions of Mr. King's it.t-er are one whole tissue of abnso of the British Empire, and it is just cool impudence for him to a'slc "where."

Mr. King quotes the full passage from the English "Labour Loader," or shall we use his own peculiar style and siy "ho boldly purloined" the passage? Well, what is slill plui-> is that the Kus-. sion Soviet's Extraordinary Commission is "above ordinary law." The assurance that a commission "above ordinary law" will give prisoners n trial would scarcely be consoling to Mr. King if were, a prisoner charged with (sunporting the breaking up of thil Russian Soviet Republic. Under our glorious British Constiitution, in. spite of all, that is said against the FAipine, liberty of_expression is accorded to a degree that exists scarcely anywhere else. It is no doubt, becauso we lwve such liberty that men. forget thn.t it r.iiiy be destroyed bv abuse. ■ ■ The league regrets to find' Mr. King seemingly bent upon destroying thatvery liberty he was prepared to die for, as it considers he might make better use of th 3 priceless privilege of freedom. —Wo are. etc'., N.Z. WELFARE (LEAGUE.