“THIS COUNTRY IS IN DANGER”
STATEMENT BY MINISTER IMPORTANCE OF HOME GUARD (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) AUCKLAND, November 29. The necessity for the immediate organisation of the Home Guard was stressed by the Minister for National Service (the Hon. R. Semple) and the Dominion Commander of the Home Guard (Major-General R. Young) when addressing representatives of local bodies in Auckland. The Minister said he was amazed at the apathy and indifference of the people to the realities of the present situation. “I do not want to create panic or scare people, but we have either got to take threats on our safety lying down or stand up and fight,” he said, in reviewing recent happenings and outlining the Home- Guard scheme. “1 say definitely that this country is in danger, and I am asking people to get together to be prepared to defend it,” he continued. “Material things do not count just now. Everything is in the melting pot. If Britain goes down, New Zealand also goes down. Make no mistake about that.” Major-General Young referred to the classes of the Home Guard. “There will be no frills and ceremonial parades," he declared. Virile men should not be kept in the emergency precautions scheme organisation unless they were indispensable key men. Their place was in the Home Guard, “You may have to go into action even if you
have only a shirt on.” he re P ll ® < i l questions concerning the supply of forms. ~c me .“If conditions arc as serious Minister states, would it not be '- 1 -' , to let people know what is lia ß% s ing. If they knew of all those thn »• it might shake them up to a reality,” suggested Mr P. Halhgan. Warkworth. . hj Mr Semple said it was the J‘>b the War Council to give information. “It would not do if everyone was per mitted to yell out what had happene ■ That might lead to panic We cannP ' tell the people all we know, as might be used against us. Every court try has its fifth column, and we na it here in New Zealand also.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23191, 30 November 1940, Page 12
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352“THIS COUNTRY IS IN DANGER” Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23191, 30 November 1940, Page 12
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