NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 28, 28 October 1942, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS

The warning by Professor Haldane, chairman of the British A.R.P. Co-ordinating Committee, concerning the likelihood of gas attacks by the Germans, will be linked in the minds of many people with the recent enemy propaganda campaign directed against the Allies observance of the rules of warfare. Time and again German complaints of this kind have been employed simply as trumped-up pretexts for violations of civilized conventions which they themselves have intended to commit. In the last few weeks the Germans have quoted all sorts of cases, ranging from the alleged shackling of prisoners to the reported bombing of a hospital tent in Libya, in an endeavour to convince the world that they arc the victims of military barbarity. As an apparent climax to this campaign Berlin radio a few days ago began suggesting that Germany would be obliged 1o renounce The Hague Convention. There is something very sinister about all this. It is difficult to escape the suspicion that the Germans are paving the way—in a transparent yet methodical manner which is very typical —for some grave, fresh violation on their own part of the civilized rules of warfare. Poison gas may be the weapon they have in mind. They are believed to have large stores of it—kept in reserve as an ultimate device of frightfulness. It is to be hoped, therefore, that Professor Haldane’s precautionary advice will be carefully by the l.iitish peoples.

One of the developments caused by war which, it is said, failed to attract, official attention afl Homo because of lack of organization and so was allowed to drift until tlie position became desperate was the cumulative effect of rationing and other things on the small shopkeeper. There are indications that the problem Is growing here. Those little businesses have not the capacity for adjustment to meet greatly altered conditions enjoyed bv the bigger firms, but they play an important part in tlie distribution of goods and the provision of services. During the past few months the British Board of Trade has appointed a Retail Trade Committee to report on the position. Its first report has been issued and might, together with other reports, provide a starting point for u enrefu study of the position and the possibilities here. The adverse effects have not been uniform throughout the country. There have been movements of the population which have tended to Increase the demand in some places, but that, of course, has meant a marked lessening in others, lhe pioblem is bv no means an easy one. If goods are not rationed the shopkeeper’s supply depends upon what can be obtained from manufacturer or wholesale house, and very often that depends upon the quantities of raw material that can be made available, Commenting on tlie position In Britain, tlie London “Times” said recently that because these small traders were not organized the greater was lhe responsibility devolving on lhe Government to see that they got. a fair deal. That applies equally here in New Zealand.