EFFECT ON WAR

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23001, 22 April 1940, Page 14

EFFECT ON WAR

PACIFISTS AND OTHER ELEMENTS VIEWS OF MAYOR AND OF RETURNED SOLDIERS References to pacifist and obstructive elements in New Zealand which tended to hamper the Dominion’s war effort were made by Mr A. E. Haynes, president of the Returned .Soldiers’ Association, and by the Mayor (Mr R. M. Macfarlane. M.P.), at a luncheon given • by the sssocistion in fur of Sir Harry Batterbee High Commissioner for the United Kmg-‘‘Ninety-nine per cent, of the people of the Dominion are absolutely loyal, ■said Mr Haynes. “We feel we .must do our utmost at this grave time. _ “Yet we know there is a certain amount of pacifism. There are those who would have our. Empire renounce its possessions. We recognise that ihese are probably those who benefit ■nost from living in the Empire. They ‘ire those who, while accepting all the privileges of our Empire, yet have that peculiar make-up which seems to pre■ent them rendering even the smallest ■•■'rvice in return. “For the bulk of our people, we are ut to do our best, and we are glad here has been a certain response to he call, but we should be more pleased f that call were responded to by even ' ‘ reater numbers. We as returned sol- * ■ iers are out to do our best.” Not to be Taken Cheaply The Mayor also referred to the ctions of certain elements in the New Zealand population. , . , “We must not take too cheaply the efforts of certain sections : to stultify he war effort,” he said. “These people, irom a misguided point of view, are doing all they can to impede that “We must remember that eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. We should guard against these elements which endeavour to undermine our efforts. We have had help from the Returned Soldiers’ Association in dealing with this in the past, and we shall require that help in the future.” Mr Macfarlane added that the association had done everything possible to further recruiting and help patriotic appeals. The community as a whole was greatly indebted to the association and to its executive. Mr 1. A. Robb, C.M.G., New South Wales State president of the Returned Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Imperial League of Australia, who' was also a guest at the luncheon, said that Australia was absolutely true to the Empire, and he was sure that the traditions of the A.I.F. and the N.Z.E.F. were safe in the hands of the new soldiers and sailors.