Exerting Pressure?

Sir Harry impresses one as being a man of culture and discretion, but nervous and always on his guard. He seemed to emphasise this statement of his duties so as to deny in advance the rumours of his real significance which are everywhere. It is impossible to form any clear opinion of the truth of these rumours by contact with the man but it seems extremely natural that the English investors should decide to exert pressure upon our democracy, and if someone has been sent, why not Sir Harry? If this is the case. Sir Harry's task will not be easy, for here is defiance of the principles of our conservative pioneer forbears, as well as of our progressive present-day Government. We do not think that [unclear: citizenes] of this nation will tamely [unclear: surender] their patrimony of freedom and self-determination, nor do we suppose that a financial dictatorship imposed from overseas will be or can be, disguised to such an extent as to be palatable to any Democrat, be he Arch-Tory or Communist.

We welcome Sir Harry Batterbee as a messenger of goodwill from England, and we trust that New Zealand will be left alone to work out her own destiny, untrammelled by the strangling bonds of an obsolete and unsound financial system.

—D.C.