GOOD TIDINGS FOR NEW ZEALAND

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 157, 29 March 1941, Page 7

GOOD TIDINGS FOR NEW ZEALAND

War News From Africa

COMMENT BY SIR HARRY BATTERBEE

Reference to three items of news published yesterday were made by the High Commissioner for the United Kingdom, Sir Harry Batterbee, speakiug at the annual meeting and dinner of the 'Wellington Chamber of Commerce last night. He spoke of the fall of Keren and Harar and the signing of the agreement between the United States, Canada and Great Britain for the granting to the United States of bases in the Atlantic, mentioning also the Yugoslavian coup d’etat. The fall of Keren and Harar, he said, would not only hearten the friends of freedom everywhere, but might have an important influence on the course of affairs in the Balkans. “Then the fall of Keren and Harar gives ground for hope that in a very short time now the whole of Mussolini’s East African Empire may collapse and the wrong done to Abyssinia in 1935 may be avenged,” he added. “Apart from its immediate effects of the British-American agreement in strengthening our strategic position in •the Atlantic, it should be viewed in its broader aspects. It is evidence of the evergrowing union of thought and interest between the United States and ourselves. That union is not a transitory thing but, on the contrary, so far as jiuman foresight can predict, is destined to be one of the enduring factors in the future of civilization: the everincreasing co-operation between the two great democracies is one of the good things which has come out of the war. These heartening tidings have come at an opportune moment. They will not be palatable pieces of news for Herr Hitler and Herr von Ribbentrop to communicate to Mr. Matsuoka when they discuss with him plans for the strengthening of the Tripartite Pact and the extension of their new order of slavery and government by brute force.” Britain desired friendship with Japan, but that friendship must be based upon freedom and even-handed justice, and not on slavery. “But in spite of these good riflings we still have a long row to hoe,” he added. “The German military machine is still of tremendous and terrifying power, Germany still has an immense air force, and the months ahead are bound to be critical and anxious. It is certain that the next few weeks will see deadly and desperate fighting, not only in the battle for Britain and the Atlantic, but for'the Mediterranean as well. We can look forward with confidence to the final result, but make no mistake that the coming months are going to try to the uttermost the nerve, the resolution and the courage of every part of the Empire.”