All Letters Submitted For Publication Must Be Signed With The Writer's Own Name. No Pseudonyms Will Be Accepted Save In ExCeptional Circumstances.

Anti-activist

The formation of a "Demonstrations Co-ordinating Committee" reveals a lot of people tor what they are — professional troublemakers. Gager and his crew are ridiculing 'he whole idea of demonstrating. No matter what the matter of principle, what the cause, these people will march. Most self-styled "Campus Activists" seem to think along the lines "Any demo is a good demo". I will march la support my beliefs, but not while this, pack of fools ii turning the whole idea into a farce.

It has always been difficult to get the public to pay any attention to the motives behind a serious demo; but it will be impossible while some people are ridiculing the whole idea like this.

The solution? Let's have an "Ignore Activists" week. If nobody pays any attention to them, they'll soon belt up, and let those with real ideals do something constructive.

Gordon A. Findlay.

Extrav review

While agreeing with most of Dave Smith's review of "Extrav", I feel he has done leu than justice to three members of the cast.

Firstly, Helene Wong, whose vitality and enthusiasm infected the audience (but not unfortunately the rest of the chorus). It was a pity that the producer neglected her undoubted acting ability.

Scondly, Peter Graham, who gav us several nice movements, but whose Muldoon Fuehrer transformation was one of the show's highlights.

And finally John Clarke, whom Mr Smith gives barely a mention. His highly individual stage presence bordered on comic genius. The dead pan Hamlet, the rolling George Beverly Shea, the snow-flecked maniac, Mr Paisley, and particularly Pete Kelly; Mr Smith dismisses them too lightly; they were performances to savour.

Roger Hall.

"Salient"

I Am not your sincerely, nor yet yours in any other form of modification, for I am unable to work up any felings of truth, sincerity or faith, in or towards the editorial policy of your rag. Since, however, you do still manage to print letters to yourslf I will take a chance and display some esprity.

What in fact does the staff of Salient do with all its time and honoraria? In all fairness to the students who paid such extortionate stuns for a campus publication, could you not try to compete with the news sheet for information, newsworthiness, readability and humour?

Why for instance is there virtually no space devoted to a little accurate reporting of student activity? Is it because Salient would rather start a witch hunt through the precincts of 'he Brig than arrange for the reporting of the special meting of the Drama Club that was (now the Drama Society, old boy), so that the Drama Society committee must needs send in its own copy. Very sound policy that, too, for it seems that Salient only needs to reach out one sticky tentacle towards the facts to distort them out of all value they may have once possessed, leaving simply an inky blur of little symbols and fine phrases.

D. G. Andrews.

P.S.—Put a few more pages in this week's copy, it makes wunnerful papier-mache.—P.A.

Molehill?

Your article on the alleged indecency of an advertisement in Focus tent so many of US scurrying to page 39 of our latest issue.

Upon looking at the area in question I would say that you are making a mountain out of a molehill.

Philip Morrison.

Are you implying we weren't serious? Being satirical? No, I don't believe it.—Ed.

'New Fascism'

There is no good reason why we should tolerate "Hitlers", large or small, black, white or khaki, nor should they be excused because they are black, in the present wave of "Let's Be Kind to Our Black Brothers Campaigns". History tells a much different story.

The colour of man is of no consequence, he is not more or less a man became of it. It is what comes from within, his actions towards his fellow human beings that realy counts.

We tolerated Mussolini and gave him Abyssinia; we tolerated Hitler and gave him Czechoslovakia amongst others; we sacrificed our friends lift, right and centre to appease Hitler, Mussolini and Franco.

Turn the other chec?Let's be kind to them? Though your humanity is highly commendable, they are laughing at you.

Use the methods you used to remove Hitler and Mussolini end should have used on the Spanish regime. Eliminate them.

If you have a disease in your midst do you tolerate it? No, you cure it by killing off the invading "germs". We encourage these "Hitlers", listen to them, give them power, honour them, train their armies, trade with them, lend them funds, encourage them in every way. What for? They contribute nothing to mankind but destruction. So we encourage them to slaughter their victims and crush their opponents. Or do we do it in the hope they may change their ways and become democratic? How blind can we be.

The lessons of thirty years ago were learnt at the cost of some 52,000,000 dead plus the uncountable maimed and injured. Does all this mean nothing to us? Do not let the cancer that is Fascism spread; destroy it, before it destroys you, wherever it appears; Africa, Europe, Asia, America or even in your own backyard.

If you want food for thought, read Russell's book "The Scourge of the Swastika", then re-read it lest you forget. Lord Russell you will remember was Attorney-General of England, and was threatened with dismissal if he published this book, so he resigned rather than be muzzled.

While you are about it, another lesson from Black Africa— extracted from Lord Russell's appeal for help from Haile Selassie and Kenneth Kaunda, dated February 4, 1964.

"1000 people a day are being slaughtered ... in the country of Ruanda Urundi. ... The Wehutu people are, as a matter of vengeance, exterminating 250,000 Watutsi who formerly ruled over them." But note, Mr Mitchell, what follows—"The Watutsi have no press to defend them, no national representatives to appeal on their behalf and no means of preventing what is happening."

If you still want to be convinced, try a visit to the small Polish town of Oswiecim, 20 miles north-west of Cracow. Never heard of it?

The German name is Auschwitz, and the Poles have preserved this "konzentrationelager" intact as a museum. Foreigners, especially those from the West, are particularly encouraged to visit this museum. (Wo forget more easily the mistakes of the past.)

But thanks for your article, Jim; you stopped short of the of their political police, disband their armed forces, and without the power of coercion their people will become free; and the dictators of Fascism, new or old, will fall.

R. A. O. Morgan.

Apartheid

In the April issue of that great democratic weekly rag Truth, there is an article that generously endeavours to show the tax-payers the true light. In it our noble, anonymous Truth reporter, without malice or bias, purports that the tax-payers' money is being wasted on a "motley collection of youthfuls". complete with long hair and beards, who have nothing else to do but protest.

Well, Mr Reporter, I think it is these self same people who are going to bring any honesty and moralistic decency to the Establishment of our God-forsaken pair of pearls in the South-Pacific. It is not, Mr Reporter, in the 5000 apathetic pikers that any lead will be shown. At the S.G.M. on April 30 this same noble band of complacent apathetic students, without conscience, quashed the motions concerning the University sports clubs taking a stand in line with NZUSA policy over sport in South Africa. Their only argument was that, even though apartheid wasn't very gentlemanly and nice, in the best of Kiwi tradition the tour must go on. One can only conclude from this that their attitude is: "To hell with those damn blacks, our game of rugby is more important than their damn freedom".

This one incident is typical of the negative thinking that flows from deep within the realms of knowledge of our noble 500. And so until we see some change in the thinking and feelings of the majority of students at that great apostolic haven of learning, Victoria University, yes, indeed Mr Reporter, the tax-payers' money will be wasted.

R. Mcdowell.

Students

How tolerant is Mr Wallace? The one smell fault I find in his doctrine of Universal Equality of Education is hypocrisy. While wholeheartedly condemning all things Student because they "stink" (can we help having B.O.?), he associates himself with said pong by writing to Salient. How squalid.

He says that he and his kind have the power to crush universities. I dare them to try.

R. S. Quayle.