PUBLIC OPINION

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20993, 21 December 1939, Page 9

PUBLIC OPINION

As expressed by correspondents whose letters are welcome, but for whose views we have no responsibility. Correspondents are requested to write in ink. It is essential that anonymous writers enclose their proper names as a guarantee of good faith. Unless this rule is complied with, their letters will not appear.

BRUTAL REGIME

(To the Editor) Sir, —The most damning indictment of a regime ever published is contained in documents issued as a Government White Paper on the treatment of German nationals— Jews, radicals, communists and others who differ from the National Socialist Government as reflected by Hitler and his associates. Never since the days of the Inquisition has there been revealed such sheer love of bestiality and sadistic cruelty as is shown in the pages of the White Paper—(l) Sixteen hours’ toil a day, food and even drink forbidden in the hottest weather; (2) frequent flogging delivered in the most brutal manner; (3) men dragged on the ground by the feet until the flesh is torn from their faces; (4) cripples forced to carry massive stones. This very briefly is the picture which emerges from the documents issued by the British Government.— I am, etc., HARRY WOODRUFFE. Auckland, December 19.

ACCUSATION OF WRECKING

(To the Editor) Sir, —My reading of your leading article on “Accusation of Wrecking” in Tuesday’s Waikato Times has prompted me to write, and at the same time make known some facts relative to one of the principal speakers at the recent mass meeting held in Hamilton, a meeting which Mr Savage considers was composed of people more intent on wrecking the Government than on assisting to win the war. The speaker to whom I refer is Mr Gainor Jackson. This gentleman saw active service in the last war, and also had two of his brothers lulled in France, one after being invalided home seriously wounded and again enlisting. I venture to say that Mr Jackson’s family has a better war record than the whole of the Cabinet Ministers’ families, and yet Mr Jackson is ac-. cused of being a wrecker and of taking part in what could be considered an unpatriotic meeting. Mr Jackson himself stated at the meeting that he would yield to no one as far as patriotism was concerned. The opinion of the meeting was that the manner in which the Government was conducting the affairs of the country did not permit of the greatest possible war effort. On Mr Savage’s own statement over the air cn Sunday night, he considers that conditions that encourage people to make record investments on the totalisator, and buy new American motor-cars with the dollar funds that England needs so much, are the best war effort we can make. Surely we would all be doing more to help England if we worked longer hours to produce more, and at the same time spent less on American cars and motor fuel. By the example the Government has given, and the conditions it has set up,- it encourages us to be extravagant and irresponsible, and then Mr Savage accuses of being wreckers the people who venture to protest and suggest means of encouraging greater effort towards production. —I am, etc., AJAX. Ngaruawahia, December 20.