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Hokitika Guardian, 12 April 1924, Page 2

Empihf. politics generally are largely in the melting pot at this juncture. In South Africa, South Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand, there is a very small, if any, margin in the numerical strength of the opposing jaities. General Smuts anticipated the inevitable this week by asking for a dissolution in order to define tlic political position. Our Mr Massey is not in that mood though fie knows lie retains office only by the grave of sometime opponents. Mr Massey hangs on to office with great persistency. Neither is lie in a hurry to meet Parliament assembled. The occasion is put off to the latest possible date. It will have been noticed that Mr Massey talks of the possibility of a general election. Tt ia useful warning to issue at this juncture. It will help to harden up bis support in the House. Smuts is in a different political atmosphere, and be lias to pursue quite another line. It is certainly the more open line. General Smuts lias proved one of the assets of Empire. He was a great bulwark both during the war and after, while liis efforts to settle the Irish question were of outstanding importance. The Empire needs men of the calibre of General Smuts directing its Councils.

Thk unsettlement of the political mind all round the Empire suggests that democracy is for the time being out of band. The unsettling conditions of the war dislocated the public policy to such an extent that it lias opened the way for a fresh and more diversified policy.

The public mind is so drawn as under that it is unable to determine what it wants. Democracy is not thinking in the moss, but in class. That is not'altogether a bad thing if the thinking were done reasonably. There is a good deal of extreme thought abroad, and that seems to be the underlying trouble. It lias caused a lino of action which is. unsettling. Signor Mussolini has expressed it as inevitable that the British Empire must pass through a period of travail uo loss disconcerting than that which oppressed Italy. It was not till a strong man came forward to rule the many for their good that Italy began to have genuine hopes for its future. The average Britisher would prefer to work out his destiny on constitutional lines, believing in and enjoying the benefits of law and order. Whether this is going to he so the next year or two will disclose, but at the moment there is a good deal of uncertainty about future possibilities.