BRITAIN'S AIMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 16, 19 January 1940, Page 8

BRITAIN'S AIMS.

WAR WITH GERMANY

A POTENTIAL ENEMY.

HOLLAND AND THE PACIFIC

ADVICE TO K.Z. WORKERS.

An emphatic statement that Britain's war against Germany was not an Imperialistic one. was made by the Minister of* Health, the Hon. P. Eraser, when addressing )<><K) men at the Otahuhu workshops in the lunch hour to-day. Britain had nothing material to gain, he said, and was willing to conclude peace provided it were on a reasonable basis. The rights of small nations, added the Minister, would have to be respected, and the (Jermans would have to stop their attacks upon the Protestant and Catholic Churches, upon trade unions, and upon the Jews, and allow the peopb to live under decent conditions. Britain would agree to no peace on the methods of the concentration camps, and on the tortures and. other atrocities which had been rife in Europe under the Nazi regime.

A question of particular interest at the moment touched, on by Mr. Fraeer waa the position of Holland in the event of that country being invaded by (!ermanv. AVhat, he asked, would happen to the Xethe.iiand's Kaflt Indies in the event of the despoliation of Holland? There would be no Dutch Government in that event and a Pacific Ocean Power —not Ciermany—would step in. Such a Power wae a potential e.neniy to-day, and not only would the Netherlands Ra»t Indies be seized, but the same position would apply to Xew Zealand in the event of Britain going do.vn as the result of the war. United States' Part.

Mr. Fraeer eaid that in such circumstances there was, of course, a likelihood of the United States entering the conflict, but, at the moment, it was impossible to eay what America would do in the event of the. Pacific being made a theatre of war.

"If Britain crashes, what protection will Xew Zealand have?" a*ked Mr. Fraser. "Our territory would be captured and New Zealand reduced to a vassal State." It would be a question of bayonet points or musket barrels, and Xew Zealand would be j-laced in the same position of Poland and Czechoslovakia. The people's homes would &o, and so would the social security scheme. It was, therefore, patent to all that in the event of Britain losing- the war everything that meant so much to Xew Zealand, and which had been fought for so strenuously, especially during the last four years, would disappear, arid the standard of living; would go with it.

It was th* duty of everybody to do all in his or her power to assist the Mother Country. It was all very well for people to advocate '"juggling" with currency and credit, but what really mattered at the present time was poods anl services, and it was the bounden duty of every person to give of his best to see that those goods and services were produced.

'"We expect efficiency in industry," said Mr. Frasor. "We expect everyone to do 'h.is beat in whatever job he has." New Zealand from the moment that war was declared was right behind thv Mother Country. The .Government expected the workers, who hud such a lot to lose, to stand behind it and give their maximum effort in the fight for democracy until victory whs achieved. (Applause.) Motion of Loyalty. Referring to the economic position of New Zealand the Nazi aggressors triumph—and there was no possibility of that occurring—Mr. Fraeer eaid that the Dominion would be ruined and bankrupted because she would have no market for her primary products, and thi«.t would mean that rfne would not be able to purchase any imjK>rts.

The Minister was vigorously applauded throughout his address. He wa<s preceded to his position on an improvised platform by the Ota'huii'ii Workshops band, the men bein.g in their "working clothes. The workshops manager, Mr. J. Graham, presided, and at the conclusion of the address a resolution was carried by acclamation expressing appreciation of Mr. Fraser's work on his recent visit to Englanid. and reaffirming the meeting's unqualified loyalty to the Prime Minister, the Rt*. Hon. M. J. Savage, and his Government. A ehow of 'hands was then asked for and every hand went up simultaneously, the chairman declaring the motion carried unanimously.