MAJOR DOUGLAS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 699, 27 November 1933, Page 4

MAJOR DOUGLAS

The news that Major Douglas, the original enunciator of the Douglas Soeial Credit Scheme, will visit New Zealand next January will be welcomed not only by the disciples of his monetary doctrine in this Dominion but possibly also by a very large number of people who quite frankly admit that they cannot understand the doctrine as propounded at second hand. There is in this country, as in many other parts of the world a growing conviction that some substantial measure of monetary reform must be effecte.d before the world can hope to recover permanent prosperity and in some quarters the Douglas Soeial Credit Scheme has been welcomed as the means to that end. It remains, however, very much in the theoretical stages and with the best will in the world, j some more succinct and accep- I table explanation of its proposals will have to be given before it can hope to receive any general i support. It has been claimed I that the Douglas scheme has | been supported by a number of , the world's leading economists, I but this is a vague qualification j which is applied somewhat in- ! discriminately. In the first | place there is so much room for j doubt as to who may be eonsidered the world's leading economists that the qualification is largely a matter of individual opinion. It is claimed that the i Marquess of Tavistock who will accompany Major Douglas has ! claims to be considered in this l august company, and the class is so wide that possibly this may be true. It is competent to suggest, however, that it is not for the present generation to decide the ranking of the world's economists, but for posterity. Future i generations may acclaim Major | Douglas as a genius, they may j condemn him as a charlatan or | more possibly still, relegate him i to that limbo of forgotten pro- j phets who have created a brief ! stir in their own generation j without leaving any permanent j mark upon it. It has been claimed that the most advanced o"f Dr. Einstein's j mathematical theories can only be understood by 12 men in the world. This in itself is some protection for Dr. Einstein's claim to greatness for it places the rest of the world in a position where it cannot argue about it. From the published discussions regarding Major Douglas' system, however, this is hardly so in his case, for argument appears to be one of the main constituents. What claims to greatness Major Douglas may have, however, rest upon somewhat similar foundations but, whereas Dr. Einstein's authorities are considered to be unimpeachable, the qualifications of many of Major Douglas' supporters vary according to the point of view of the audience. It will be interesting theref ore to perceive whether Major Douglas in person is able to bring light to relieve the darkness that undoubtedly envelops some aspects of his proposals. If he cannot do this it is quite certain that no one else can, and the Douglas system in New Zealand will moro or less stand or fall upon the impression which he creates. The average New Zealander is open to conviction upon matters of this description, but unless the Douglas Social Credit. Scheme can be brought more within the understanding of the man in the street it is unlikely to make any lasting popular appeak A portion of the criticism which has been directed against it must be discounted to some extent as being actuated by bias, but the proposals have been so critically regarded in many quarters that Major Douglas will have to establish a very strong case to convince the sceptics or to effect any wholesale coHversion.