"SCAREMONGERS."

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 116, 19 May 1939, Page 11

"SCAREMONGERS."

DEFENCE LEAGUES. WAR PROFITEERS ATTACKED. > MR. SEMPLE IS CAUSTIC. d'.r T« ipli — Prc~-• Assorlntion.) • uri- ! ( Hi !'♦ 11. TliurMl;iy. An .it • i k "M nir |• 11>!i10"r- ami dc;. ■' '■ ' 1 " "I-"-. '*r"h h«' considered to 1.-- •; t ■ii' c ,n ,ii *11 Ihr in mi who p! in i I iii i" ■' MinHII !s, frank -: i' ■•• i' i * "I iii» own a 11i 11MIe to war ii n.I :i i j'.' ■ ;11 ;. I inl• ■. .111< lan e\ 11!.i ua I ion of >•»!••• • ■ lIT made In Ihe (Ii o rill nielli in | lor I lir defence of New Zealand w i made by I lie .Minister of I'nl.lic \\ oi 1,.-, ihe Hon. 1!. Ncmple. to \l''. "seuiple -poke in support of Mi. I.' ,\r. Maefaiinne'x candidature for t lie I hri - tcimri h Sour h <rii(. "\\c are I old ti'it we are floincr in it !ii i 1 i" defend Vew Zealand," -ai-d Mr. ei;.le "I am tellin™ )on that we ii re d ' 'if 11,1 | '*• r cent more than the hi her i.i;ll w t !ii 11!'tt of do'rnrr. and the I- I * 1 *' e lo U'e are buildin-.- .i' in weeks and mouths. It would : i', " taken lliein until the crack ~f to lei Id one. ' >oim" -n . 'V u are not a military num. Ur. -eiiiple.'" t lie Mini-ter eonI iniicd. No. I never was, but. I do lielieve I iiat we are liviii'/ to a re-l less, nneer:ain world. We do not want to 'jn lo war w:fli anybody. No one with a yram ot' lornirim sense wants it. "T'nc-e defence league-" I hat are i|eve|o|iiie_' are ci.rti|iosc<l of a yan« <,f neureinoiicei s," added Mr. Seuiple. " That, is wli.il I lliink of them. They want to eieate a. |i~ y cliologv of fear. We Wiint. lo build in quiet. reii mhiii hie and rational la-hioii a. deleuee system in (hi,-i country to protect New Zealand from inva din. "If it comes, we are in duty bound (o <|o th.it in the int cir'sti of our kiddies. We are only trn-tees in our time. We are here to day and -one tomorrow. but. the toddiers have to stav for ft time, and the least we can leave tlirni is a. measure of security vvapped rtt safety. My that f am not flapping a tin ir "i" singing .jingui-t ic songs. We are plodding away to build New Zealand a defence system which will make others think twice before coming here. "The Public Works I>ep»rtment i#i composed of 23.n0!> hard-working men, nnrl the latest construction machinery, nnd rVutld he formed into a valuable part of the defence system. I am going ullt next week to organise these fellows into a mechanised battalion to defend the country if tin- occasion warrants it.

"Tn flic (irent. War," added Mr. iSrm|ile. "I vv 11 s in the 'cooler.' J vv'otild niinmit a similar offence to-morrow. I ninke 110 apology to anybody for what I did, nfid I would just as soon repudiate my Ministerial career lie fore I would stop fighting war profiteers. I repeated when 1 came out what I got three years for.

"My offence was that T attacked the rnthlews profiteering and bloodthirsty plundering that went on in this country. I told thern what I thought should have been done when war was declared. Bccniis® tliey said my advocacy was ngainwt their policy and against recruiting, they Mid 1 liad ecditiuu* tendertcie*."

Declaring tlint lie was out to defend Xnw Zenlanil, Mr. Momplp said he woulil not «ay to the young "you go." Hn would hirnwlf be in the front trench, but before ho Vvent he ami hi* colleagues would see that the war profiteers' fanes were extracted. Bern two he fought the greatest scandal and the jtrrntent piece of robbery ever imposed ii|>on suffering people, 1m- went to gaol. "The defence league* growing lip in this country arc u-Mocintes ill war of those melt who plundered tlie nation in 11)14-|H." *nid Mr. Nc tuple. "You will find, they will find and tlie world will find that, if the cull conic* for Mr. Savage mid his lioveriiment to /day the game in the defence of liberty, home life, stability and the security of the people, we will be there ;i t the death knock, and that thw politic-ill niimicr* will be out of sight.''