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HONGKONG TELEGRAPH
November 15, 1939.
1940
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The
Hongkong Telegraph.
Wyndham St., Hongkong 'Phone 26615 November 15, 1939
Twilight of Ideologics
A conspicuous and significant feature of the present war has been the sudden and spectacular crumbling of ideological anta- gonism which were regarded us fundamental. The most striking
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the Soviet-German non-aggression pact, which proved in practice to be A mutual aggression pact, directed against unfortunate Po land.
For years anti-bolshevism had beon a cardinal tenant of the Nazi faith and anti-fascism had been Com- the leading article in the munist crodo. Yet, as thoughtful observers with first-hand know- ledge of the two regimes recogniz ed-there-had-been-a-steady increase in points of similarity between Germany's "brown bolsho- vism" and Russia's "red fascism." The temptation to despoil n weaker neighbour proved the final factor in bringing about a rapproche- ment, if not an actual alliance, between the two countries.
Equally striking was the abrupt turn for the better in the rolations between the Soviet Union and Japan. There was a long tradi- tion of bitter hostility between these two countrion, and there had been periodic outbursts of border fighting which sometimes brought into netlon tanks and airplanes as well na less formidable weapons. But it is perhaps as easy for thei Soviet Union and Japan to come to an understanding at the expense of China as it was for the Soviet Union and Germany to strike a bargain for the spoilation of | Poland.
The ancrifice of Ideological con- siderations for the anke of selfish national interests is no new thing. During the Thirty Years War Cardinal Richelieu leagued himself with Protestant states in order to push the French frontier castward to the disadvantage of a Roman Catholic Emperor. King Francis 1 of France made an alliance with tha Mohammedan Turks against his immediate enemy, the Emperor Charles V.
ADOLF THE IMPRESARIO: "Not a very promising audience, Rib., old boy."
Something to
be proud of
N
ment.
OT the least striking
result of the last few weeks has been the renovation of Parila-
It has become, in a pivotal way, the focus of national attention and interest in a fashion that has hardly been the case since 1931.
It is not merely that the vital ministerial pronouncementa
It is not merely, mado there. elther, that the debaten have reached an extraordinarily high level.
are
It is, above, all, because Parliament has found itself again. Its criticisma of administration have been soute and direct. Its ability to formulate gricy- ance has been prompt and incisiva.
By HAROLD
LASKI
concentration camp. To say of Goebbels or of Goering what Mr. Greenwood has said of Dr. Burgin would, in Germany, have been equivalent to a prison sentence.
With ourselves, this is not the case and cannot be the case. A major failure on the part of the Government will lead to its recon- stitution as easily and as painlessly as Mr. Asquith gave way to Mr. Lloyd George in 1910.
One has only to read the questions in the House of Commons, or the com- ments in the public Press, to see that the nation retains ita neil-respect by seeing that the process of govern- ment is submitted to examination.
The Government's life depends upon its response to critician and waming. It has not the poyer, it dare not take
mentary form, the co-operation of
its citizens as the basis of its exec- tiveness,
Dictatorship is driven
to refuse that co-operation-since its own inherent loglo is incom- patible with its exercise.
The fe of a Parliamentary democracy is, therefore, the life of reasoned discussion. But the life of a dictatorship is, in its publie aspect, one in which reasoned dis- cussion is necessarily fatal to the end a dictatorship has in view. Unlike democracy, it cannot afford the luxury of citizens who find their self-respect in freedom.
The British people has only begun to tread a long road, the end of which is not yet in sight. There are going to be trials and dim- culties. The one thing to which it must cling fast is the realisation that in a frea Parliament, func-
To what is this renovation due? Above all, I think, to two things.
First, it is the response to a wide- sprend public demand that the war-the power, to black-out public opiniontioning in a-free democracy it has should intensify and not diminish the strength of democratic in- stitutions.
The electorate is not willing to wage a war for freedom and to lose that right of free discussion which la`ni
freedom's easence.
It is due, secondly, to the fact that the Labour Party' in a real Opposition, Ired to eriticise and attack.
At no point in our history has the value, as a political instrument, of His Majesty's Opposition been more clear. It has been able to reflect popular doubt. It has been able-Mr. Oreen- wood's famous challenge of September 2 is the supreme instanco-to volos irresistibly popular demand.
More: It is clear that a Government so circumstanced must show excep tional energy and exceptional ability f it is so survive. Ministerial reputations, closely examined in debate, will noi survive the discovery of incapacity,
There are many examples of klits, The success of Evacuation was dug to Opposition pressure, 80, too, was the important decision that youths under 20 are not to be sent to France. 80, also, was the agree- ment to reorganise Dr. Burgin's narrow and bureaucratie decision about the Ministry of Supply.
The rapid reorganisation of the Min- istry of Information has been tie out- come of the fact that is ineptitude could not face the barrage of Parlia mentary criticism.
The country is in no mood for the complacent confidence of the pre-war days. The House has become aware of this. It realises that the Gover ment le on trial, and knows that its own future depends upon its ability to roturnin verdict in accordance with the view of public opinion.
It le impossible not to contrast this altuation with that In Germany.
No "steps Hitler may take, no measure upon which he may decide, has to run the gamut of criiicima.
There is no instrument in Germany to-day through which opinion my make itself felt or through which grievance may seek its appropriate remedy. The whole population re- mains the inert recipient of ordera which it must obey without scrutiny and without explanation.
The recent spectacular shifts in international relations must have brought bitter but perhaps ultimate- ly mulutary reflections to cortain passionate partisans In inter- national affairs who have pursisted until very recently in regarding, the Soviet Union as the shining
Above all, it is notable that in Coe, knight in red armour who would many a change in the Government put the decadent domccracies to: would be equivalent to a revolution; the whole fabric of the State resta shame and save worker, peoples upon the power of the Nazis to main-
their
of from the onslaught of Nazi Geraln
ghastly apparatua esercion. many:
For the open opponent there is the Similar confusion must have been scaffold; for the critic there is the brought into the ranks of equally
passionate partisans in Far Eastern champion of China against Japanese affairs who have persistently ad aggression: Chiang Kai-shek, when the he is able to do so, will probably vocated the conception of Soviet Union 1. the chivalrous tell a very different story.
It governs a body of free citizens. more aware than. in any previous time that the maintenance of their freedom is the fundamental condition of their victory.
Parliament is an old · institu- tion, with nearly seven hundred years of accumulated tradition as its foundation.. What it has ro- vealed in these five weeks of crials and of war is its capacity for self- regeneration.
Its exercise of its function re- markably illustrates the difference between democracy and dictator- ship. In the one, citizenship is a positive function; in the other it has ceased to be function at all. In the one, the administration must make its way by eliciting consent; in the other, it must make its way by im. In the one, what posing coercion. touches all must be decided by all; in the other, the basis of the regime is a denial that the people have a right to decide.
Democracy demands, in its Parlia
- forged the basic instrument of
'victory,
It must not allow itself to be diverted from that understanding. The higher the stature of Parlia ment in this crisis, the higher also will be its own stature.
The more it insista upon the full performance of Parliament's func- tion, the more profoundly it will secure the perpetuation of its own freedom.
And it must, above all, remem- ber as it watches the proceedings in Parliament, that its heart lies In the duty of the Opposition fear- lessly to analyse the operations of the Ministry.
Criticism in war time is even moro the sovereign duty of the Opposition than it is in peace. These weeks have niready demonstrated the power of the Labour Party, as that Opposition. to concentrate the mind of Parliament, nad through it, of the nation, upon the pivotal things
One function, tri the days that lie ahead, is to reinforce that power with all the energy we have. In the degrce that we do so we make certain the success of the great ends we hold in common with one another.
GRIN AND BEAR IT'
Who took my atom?!!
By Lichty
John Blunt Opposes
INCOME TAX
TF responsible public opinion counts for anything in the |British Empire (and of course it does) the Income Tax proposal for Hongkong cannot be support- ed. The Unofficial Members of the Legislative Council presum- ably represent the public. They have cast their votes against the proposal, and have given cogent for their objections. The public may be said to have expressed itself in no uncertain manner through the columns of the Press. There is an over- whelming objection from every section and nationality of the community.
reasons
One can readily sympathise with the Finanelal Secretary in his strenu- ous efforts to justify a scheme which he himself has admitted must be largely a matter of guesswork. His speech last Thursday was cleverly conceived, but even his facile mind could not sweep away the many weaknesses and objections which are all too patent in connection with the proposed tax.
Through its financial spokesman, Government admits that the existing systems of revenue collecting are not 100 per cent. efficient but at the same time, is prepared 10 put inle. force' n measure which is too vague even to chance an estimate of either cost of administration or yield,
Actually, the Financial Secretary bellaves, or, rather hazards a guess, that the cost of collection would be something between" $300,000 and $400,000 per annum, although he stated "we expect to draw the ma jority of the staff required from other. branches of the Government Service whose activities will have to be re- duced to some extent and whose leave Is, under present arrangements, being drastically curtalled, so increas Ing the number of available officers" Does this mean that the minority of the staff needed, or belleved to be needed, would cost from three to four lakhs per annum?
It is, of course, claimed that In- come Tax ensures equity and justice --and in most countries, this state- ment is unquestionably correct. In the proposal before Hongkong, how- ever, the claim cannot hold good, and the Financial Secretary himself supplies one of the reasons. He pro- poses to grant special concessions to newly established factories!
If this is not a contradiction to the assertion that Income Tax will not
know drive capital away, I don't what it means.
Surely it is an admission that the Tax might dissuade people from in- vesting money In factories In the Colony, or at any rate, cause them to, think twice before so doing.
In order to overcorno this pro- to bobility, Government proposes make special concessions to newir catablished factories.
Why do this if the tax is so scru- patiously fair and equitable?
In other words, it la proposed to subsidise people who hesitate to in-.' vest their money in Uie Colony, be- cause of the fact that they would be taxed for so doing.
What of the factory already estab- lished, paying the tax, and managing to earn a reasonable return? The now man would start off with pre- ferential treatment tantamount to being granted a subsidy, enabling him to undercut his established compe- titori
Much Too High
If this la high finanen, it is so high Ins to be beyond my reach.
2
I am sorry to bo coustic, but if a Government Oficial announces that' he proposes to be caustic (at the tax- payer's expence, and I am a tax- payer) then why should I not be. coustic in return?
I certainly resent the imputation |that European British people, must pay until it hurts, because it is their
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