UNJUST DEMANDS ON ENGLAND.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 February 1920, Page 1

UNJUST DEMANDS ON ENGLAND.

Everywhere one turns to-day some kind of baneful propaganda is apparent.

Each one is trying to outdo the other ; everyone has an individual axe to grind. The most blatant of them all is perhaps the “Irish Republic” and its adherents, in the vociferous attacks on England makes in Ireland as some kind of oppression upon the “poor Irish.” Then along' c-ame a few disgrunted Indians who try to influence the Government, through its Foreign Relations Committee, that India must apply “self determination” to itself.

Then Egypt claims the ear of this committee, stating that it too, must he allowed to run its own affairs free and untrammelcd,- and that England must give her home rule. : One might expect to hear a megaphone voice rise up over St George’s. Channel from the Manxman, with an urgent request that the Isle or Man he allowed to form a separate republic and the Welshmen of the Isle of Anglesey demand an independent government. They have been oppressed even worse than llie Irish, for they laid to respond to conscription during the late war. The Irish difficulty seems to he all in the past. They don’t tell you of what England has done of recent years. How she lias made it. possible for the farmer to possess his own farm, helped him to finance it and put him in a. position of prosperity that lie had not expected.

The Sinn Fein movement is one of absolute selfishness, as its name indicates, and is only kept alive through a few who find it a pleasant way of making a living and to whose ears the loud and vulgar applause of the ignorant is divine music. To pose as “the saviour of a poor downtrodden people,” and he heralded as great men throughout this country and as self sacrificing heroes, is ai pose pure and simple. Just cut off the revenue of gifts, then see how quickly tiiey would scurry for some soft government job which could easily be obtained for them. Do you think that India is in any position to-day to govern itself? Hasn’t England done wonders in holding up justice in India and in Helping tlio people to rise to a state in which they-are rapidly becoming a race of intelligent'’citizens, learning that many' of their former practices were contrary to the law of nature and common humanity. A time will come when India will be capable of self-government, but not for years yet.

Would it be safe to allow. Egypt a free reign at this time to run things to suit a few agitators? We do not think so, and there is a big majority who believe as we do regarding this important matter.

Contrast Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa with these countries. They don’t howl about self-de-termination; are all happy under existing conditions, with only the thought of getting hack on a business basis after the war.

If there should be a propaganda why not start one that will be benefieient and fair in its objects?