PACIFIC DANGERS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 299, 15 September 1941, Page 8

PACIFIC DANGERS

Protective Attitude Of U.S.A. MR. FRASER’S VIEW Speech At Civic Reception (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Sept. 14. . “Aftef discussing the problems of the Pacific with President Roosevelt, I came away feeling that, whatever the future may hold in store for us, that great people will not stand idly and complacently by if the younger Dominions of New Zealand and Australia are attacked or are in danger of destruction; said the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, in a review of his tour at a civic reception tin the Town Hall on Saturday night. The mayor, Mr. Alhlm, presided over an audience of about 2000, who loudly applauded Mr. Fraser as he entered the hall. Mr. Allum assured him that they appreciated the outstanding personal contribution he had made to the Empire’s war effort. The Minister of Finance, Mr. Nash, welcoming Mr. Fraser, said it had been arranged originally that Mr. Fraser was to go to Britain by way of the United’’States, but when he knew that the New Zealand division was about to enter the conflict he decided at once that if the boys were going into trouble he would go where the trouble was. “Many of our boys today are free because of him,” Mr. Nash continued. “It was due to his urge that extra boats were sent for them. You may have heard of a suicide ship which went from Alexandria when it seemed impossible that it could get through and back. We owe a tremendous lot to Admiral Cunningham and the Navy for undertaking the task when they did not know whether it could be accomplished and for bringing 1500 of our boys back to safety. (Loud applause). “I do not question either the courage or the goodwill of the Navy or the British Government, but I believe it is largely due to the Prime Minister’s drive that those IaOO men are in the fighting ranks today.” Mr. Fraser said that throughout Britain there was a high feeling of appreciation of New Zealand’s war effort. He had visited New Zealanders in all branches of the services in Britain and everywhere they were held in the highest regard. Describing his tour of the bombed areas, the Prime Minister said the devastation could be compared to Napier and Hastings after the earthquake but' multiplied many times, but the people were facing the dangers of front line trenches unflinchingly. Never in the history of mankind had a people risen to such heights as the people of Britain at the present time. Britain’s Defences.

He had seen something of the naval ami coastal defences, military plans and Home Guard parades and he felt that if the enemy attacked they would get even worse than they were getting in Russia. There had been talk cf absenteeism, delinquencies, slackness and deficiencies in industry, but bis tours of factories, dockyards and agricultural districts bad shown him that this was not a true picture. In America lie found that Mr. Coates and Mr. Langstone had already done much for New Zealand. He had had interviews with the President, the Secretary of State, Mr. Coidell Hull, the Assistant-Secretary of State. Mr. Sumner Welles, the Secretary of the Navy, Colonel Knox, the lease-iend administrator, -Mr. Harry Hopkins, and Mr A. Harriman, the defence expediter, and bad discussed many matters. The situation in the Pacific was extremely critical, Mr. Fraser added. The conversations between Japan and the United States began while he was in Washington. He did not know how successful they had been, but he believed there could be basis for peace in the Pacific, but only in the tecognition that every country in the Pacific had (he right of self-deter-mination and self-government, that there would be no appeasement at the cost of any nation and that none would be sacrificed for tear of any aggressor whatsoever.

He felt that, if Japan woutd show good sense, the opportunity might arise of applying the principles enunciated by Mr, Roosevelt and Mr. Churchill of making the raw materials of the Pacific available for peaceful purposes to all the nations of the Pacific on an equal footing. He sincerely hoped that reason would prevail, but if it did not after we had done everything to preserve peace, strengthened our defences to the best of our ability and felt there was no other course but to stand up as our men in the Middle East were doing and as Britain was doing, ail he could wish was that we should be worthy of those overseas.

Mr. Eraser said he had sat with the British War Cabinet aud its defence committee and he could see no alternative in Britain. The members were

drawn from all parties and- nothing cculd give greater confidence than the manner in which, under the great statesman who led them, they addressed themselves to the problems before them. It was no mutual admiration society. They looked facts in the face. They felt they were entrusted, not only with the task of running the war, but also with the future of humanity and mankind. On the basis of the Roosevelt-Churchill declaration a fairer and better world was being planned.