CALL FOR UNITY

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20991, 19 December 1939, Page 9

CALL FOR UNITY

FORGET CLASS STRUGGLE AT WAR WITH MIGHTY FOE APPEAL, TO GOVERNMENT (By Telegraph.—Press Association) QHRISTCHURCH, Monday An appeal to the Government to make a practical demonstration of its loyalty to the Empire, not only by forgetting past and petty quarrels, but by “ceasing to set up one class against another by insidious propaganda,” was made by the retiring chairman of the Christchurch Stock Exchange, Mr H. Kits on, in his address at the annual meeting of the exchange. Mr Kitson quoted the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir John Simon, as saying in his Budget speech: “If the price of victory is high, it is worth paying.” There were few in New Zealand, Mr Kitson continued, who would quarrel with that statement, provided the victory to be paid for whs victory over the country’s enemies and not victory of one class over another within the people’s ranks. “As it happens,” said Mr Kitson, “we have not had much to bring home to us the fact that we are at war and at war with a mighty foe. Therefore I am not going to criticise the Government or produce figures that clearly indicate the trend of our finances. Rather I am going to ask that the Government make a practical demonstration of its loyalty to the Empire, not only by forgetting past and petty quarrels, but by ceasing to set up one class against another by insidious propaganda. Need For Awakening “This would enable our contribution to the price of victory to be not merely our sons’ blood and our treasure, but our combined efforts. No one section of the community has a monopoly of brains. “Ideals may be wonderful things,” Mr Kitson added, “but they are apt to produce fanatical thinking and unconsciousness. Sleep-walking is the sport of the unconscious. Let us awake and really combine our efforts. We owe it to the Empire. If we do not awake soon we will be too tired and unhappy to care.”