PREPARATIONS FOR DEFENCE

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26353, 22 February 1951, Page 6

PREPARATIONS FOR DEFENCE

DANGER OF “ENEMY FROM WITHIN”

MR HOLLAND’S ADDRESS

“New Zealand is at war to-day. We mav have to strengthen our effort in Korea—we must not let Our men down there. There is also another war—the menace from the enemy within, who is just as Unscrupulous ana poisonous, and just as treacherous as is the enemy without,” said the Prime Minister (Mr Hofland), speaking at a civic reception in his honour in the Civic Theatre, Christchurch, iast evening. “The enemy within utorks night and day. He gnaws away at our very vitals,” Mr Holland said. “He works inside, and he constantly weakens our preparations for defence, which arc so necessary for ’the peace of the world. The Government is alive to this menace and is determined to do its dutv. The time has long since passed when soft and honeyed words Will do. The situation calls for action, we must all pull together; we can marshal a great force for good, and peace will be preserved because we will demonstrate our strength. “The world is littered with wrecks of countries which were careless about tneir security. If we are going to Use all our efforts to build up our Social system, without defence, we are in danger of losing it. But if we are prepared to devote a certain portion to security l I believe we can have both. We must do everything reasonably possible to maintain our security and the wav of life handed down to us. We must ensure that our trusteeship has not been left in Unworthy hands. “We do not seek to impose our way of life on any other community, but we will defend to tha last drop of our blood the way of life handed down to us through the years,” Mr Holland added. Referring to the recent conference of Commonwealth Prime Ministers in London. Mr Holland said it missed being a very conspicuous success by a hair’s breadth, in two directions. “I believe.” he said, “that had the conference resolutions on Korea been put forward to-day, now that a stable front has been established in Korea, Communist China would be willing 10 confer over the cease-fire proposals. They were put when the United Nations forces were in full retreat. “The second near miss, by the narrowest possible margin, was over the ghastly problem of Kashmir. The proposals failed, but they succeeded to this extent that they narrowed the issues down to one which has, I regret to say. since become two.". To-dav there was danger in the vast build-up of the Soviet armament and Soviet manpower, said Mr Holland. “In the two world wars we won. the wars waited for us to get ready, he said. “We would be foolish to expect a third world war to wait for us to get ready. There is a great danger of war if our enemies harbour the view that they can succeed m their aspirations to overthrow us. The dangers of war will increase in ratio to delays in our preparations for dafence.” . ..