RADIO APPEAL

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 94, 21 April 1945, Page 6

RADIO APPEAL

ANZAC DAY PLAN

STRONG PROTEST BY R.S.A

. "We feel that the sanctity of the commemoration, which is the very core of. Anzac Day and which the legislation of the country was framed specifically to protect, will be grossly violated by the high pressure salesmanship involved in the proposed radio telephone appeal, which is to be made on Wednesday evening in Auckland," said Mr. A. P. Postlewaite, president of . Auckland R.S.A. this morning.

It had always been the policy of the N.Z.R.S.A. that anything savouring of commercial "stunting" or anything that would break the atmosphere of remembrance.on Anzac Day should be definitely prohibited, and in recent years several attempts to change the observance by the introduction of functions not in accord with, that spirit had been frustrated, he said.

The purpose of Anzac Day was remembrance of the fallen, not only of the last war, but also of the present. It was a day given over to sacred memories, and the R.S.A would vigorously protest against any attempt to break into that spirit of mourning that was the country's duty to those who had made the great sacrifice. It might be contended that as the appeal was for patriotic funds for the benefit of men on service and for. those who were prisoners of .war, it would be in keeping with Anzac Day, but there were 364 other days in the year which were not held in the same sanctity as was Anzac Day. The proposed appeal appeared to have been deliberately planned to exploit the feelings of the community, said Mr. Postlewaite. It was a wilful breach of the spirit of the Act, and the emotions of the community would be cruelly offended. Immediate action was taken by the R.S.A. this morning and telegrams of protest were sent to the Governor-General, the acting-Prime Minister, the Minister of Broadcasting and the Dominion Headquarters of the R.S.A., while the Dominion President Mr. B. J. Jacobs was comniuiilcated with personally.' r .. The following telegram was sent by Mr. Postlewaite to the GovernorGeneral: "To-day Press contains large advertisement for a radio telephone appeal for patriotic funds on Anzac Day. My association protests most ' 1 strongly and emphatically against,,-,;,-,.infringement of the solemnity of, this day by highpressure salesmanship propaganda, and we appeal to you as chairman of the N.Z. Patriotic Funds Board to prohibit * this radio appeal being made on Anzac Day."

. The. telegrams to the Ministers were in similar strain.