The Bay of Plenty Times MONDAY, APRIL 5, 1948. TOMORROW IS U.S. ARMY DAY

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 14637, 5 April 1948, Page 2

The Bay of Plenty Times MONDAY, APRIL 5, 1948. TOMORROW IS U.S. ARMY DAY

Tomorrow, April 6, the United States Army will a nzac “Army Day,” an occasion which is analogous to our oni Day. On that occasion the citizens of our great aily °i t q{ wars look back over the events of 172 .years, and ait serv ice. the debt which they owe to. the men of this splendic 0 » fiohtin 0. Our own appreciation of the deeds of New' Zealaidb hghtnu, men is limited for the most part to a period within 1 » i. u .j y Our most vivid recollections however should cen re_ p _ around the recent war which found the men of tie enem ies Array-co-operating with our own troops ini destroym e of man’s freedom. Today Americans and Aew Zea an working together to maintain peace in Japan. On ie ■ _ ‘ of the world in Germany, American soldiers and those of o blood are carrying out the same essential duty, doge A 0 'em Europe they are faced again with the task-of co .- & efforts of a new enemy to man’s freedom Just■ wha - _ . 1 d | es involves was aptly summarised by the Chief of the n Army in a recent report to the Secretary of the Army. i “Our traditional friends in Western Europe are m sti aile ci/cumstances and some are threatened with stiangu a ion • militant political party whose obvious purpose is to piomm - and insurrection for the advantage of an alien ideology, ' “’Were those countries to give up the good tight lor our con mo heritage of liberty, and become the pawns of totalitarianism, America’s security would be in dire danger. We, would find ouiselves' facing across narrowing ocean and Arctic banieis, ac• colossus spread over and beyond the combined Eurasian ei l l _ of the Roman Empire, the Persia of antiquity, the Germanic Km 0 s and the Mongol Khans.” \ America’s danger today is Britain's danger. It is also JNew Zealand’s danger. Our veterans' of two world wars, appreciating, just as Mr Truman has done, the vital necessity for preparedness for any eventuality, are urging a reluctant government to icintroduce compulsory military training in this country, it is tne duty of every responsible citizen who values his own and ms family’s security to back them to the hilt. Remembering Aew Zealand’s debt to the American Army, particularly m the defeat of Japan, this duty should be easy to appreciate.