Citizens Say—

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 587, 13 February 1929, Page 8

Citizens Say —

(To. the Editor.)

THE LABOUR BUREAU

TTiere is one statement in youx valuable leader of Saturday’s issue under “The Cost of Hungry Idleness” that may in the minds of the uninitiated greatly discount the potency of the letter on Monday’s is-sue on the above subject. The statement is “that in a stated period the Labour Bureau had placed some 15.000 men in work.” If understood rightly, the bureau does not provide work; it merely acts the part of a registry office for the Public Works Department, the Forestry Department, and an occasional private employer. The point in contention is that the labour for these departments could be supplied at a tremendous reduction in costs.

“THE WORLD TO-DAY” Sir, — I was pleased to read the letters in The Sun on poison gas. I am glad to seo we have some sane people left. I wonder what excuse they will make for the next war? “Another Parent” says that here is something real for ministers to raise their voices against. But in the last war pulpits were used as recruiting stations. The world to-day is outwardly Christian, but hatred and strife continue, and preparations for war take the place of the love of God and man. HONEST. “HAVE WE NO SAY?” Sir, — I notice by your paper, that the authorities are going to train our boys now in poisonous gas methods; and we were told so seriously that the last was a war to end wars. Now we hear that we are spending more in armaments than ever before. All nations are doing the same—France and Italy are arming to the teeth, to say nothing of the U.S.A. On top of this we are told that the Kellogg peace pact is working wonders. As a father who is very interested I cannot help but wonder if there is any sincerity behind it all. The last war was bad enough, but what the next would be, with the aid of such beastly horrors as poison gases, suggested dropping from the air of disease germs, and the like—well, it is inconceivable that anyone with ordinary sense should ever think of it. It is almost admitting that we are willing to wipe each other off the earth. Are the people to have cny say in the matter? TALK PEACE. TO END WAR Sir, — It is always my privilege to help where it is possible. And as “Common Sense” evidently has a human heart, that is all I ask. A beginning has already been made against war in several directions. One is the “International War Resister,” to be seen at the i Auckland Public Library (reference department), The following is the resolu-

Sir, —

tion printed on the cover:—“War is a crime against all humanity. We therefore are determined not to support any kind of war, and to strive for the removal of all causes of war.” The War Resisters’ International has affiliated branches in no fewer than 19 countries (including Russia). The films have taken up the work of education, and among these I might mentions “Roses of Picardy,” “The Grand Parade,” and “The Enemy.” Even the soldiers have taken the lead. Sir lan Hamilton referred to the last war as “The suicide of a generation.” Sir William Robertson says: War is a fool’s game.” General Pershing’s opinions I quoted in my first letter. So to “Common Sense” I say it is not a matter of where to begin. That lias already been done. It is simply a matter of joining up, not for a bloodthirsty slaughtering campaign, but joining up with the vanguard of educational war resistance, which alone can preserve and keep the peace. The printing press and the film are mightier than the greatest battleship yet built-—when they are utilised aright. And it is for each one of us to see they are so used. R. M. THOMSON. THE OREWA “BATTLE”

I am impressed by a somewhat grim paradox. In speaking of any aspect of our military training system, adjectives such as “futile,” “obsolete,” etc., clamour to be employed. Such adjectives, however, though applicable, fail to give due emphasis to a more serious and more important aspect of the question, an aspect which is forced into relief Ore\v° mniuc battle and manoeuvres at blow -Zealand with other countries has declared war to he unlawful, and presumably therefore regards indulgence in it as culpable and to be deprecated is it not paradoxical that a country which regards war in this light, should ih r ,? S -. to stage a mimic battle, in its young men may attain ? “f, highest degree of efficiency, unlawful? XPerlenCC ' in that which is ALEX. MILLER. “THE CHAMBER OF HORRORS” Sir.—■ The epistles penned by some of your contributors in regard to the and their arguments in favour ot the dropping of the proposal to erect a gas chamber at Devonport the centre of the Dominion's naval activities, I can only class as a lot of sentimental piffle. i thought we had aml iS 1 peo . ple re siding in Auckland lt! ? precincts, but apparently I am Tt?“ nns under a misapprehension. n an , mllltal ' ists - 1 shall t£ rm them, have long exhausted their futile arguments against war, but they still continue to issue their outbursts of hatred toward any patriot who would dare to don the King’s uniform and to take up arms to defend his people, rus home, and his country against some marauder. So this is the tvpe o- citizen we are raising in ,\ew Zealand,. Kow for this “chamber of hor-

rors," christened thus by your cornspoiiuent, Mrs. M. B. Soljak. I &SF* with that writer that the Germas* were the first to use gas in warfare, and its toll was undoubtedly severe i Foreigners must be watched closeT even during times of peace, for ■*•* its cloak they may be preparing sm* more fiendish device while John Bui “unsuspectingly” looks on. J" 40 ? to our efficient intelligence department, we are kept advised of w armaments and preparations for wtJ Little do these unsuspecting cers know that the New Zealand ar_ sion of the Royal Navy may have 1J instructed by the Admiralty to «r PJj this “gas room.” “Be p ‘** paie ,' ri£ » should be our national motto, m.\ rightly so, because the Great JfinP m of which we are an integral pari® H not afford, to be otherwise. The O* r ing of men in anticipation <n tn § of gas in future wars is a progress. § and not a retrograde, step. n, f possibly mean the saving of I H of lives. In answer to Mrs. SoUafc f would say that the gas chAODCT t Air l-'orce base on the beautiful j mata are necessary. So are wsuwu i forts, mined waters in *l ie . , j, and troops trained to wttnnoj* flux of invaders until assistance rived from other outposts m Empire. VAB VICTIS! Pukekohe.