BLITZED LONDON

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 20, 18 October 1941, Page 8

BLITZED LONDON

Striking Photographs Of Scenes Of Damage

EXHIBITION OPENED BY PRIME MINISTER

The exhibition of photographs showing damage caused by enemy air raids on London which has been sent to New Zealand by the Press .-Club London, was opened in Wellington yesterday afternoon by the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser. The collection is to be exhibited later in other New Zealand cities and towns. The photographs, said the Prime Minister, told in a most graphic and realistic way what the British people had had to endure. . The origin and purpose of the exhibition were explained by the chairman of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association', Mr. C. W. Earle. The people who had sent out the photographs, he said, had felt that when they were exhibited here a collection might be made for some patriotic purpose in New Zealand. The association considered, however, that the least it could do was to send any money collected to London for the relief of their kinsmen in that city who had suffered so much. Mr. Earle thanked departmental heads and Ministers of the Crown for the assistance they had given in making arrangements -connected with the organization of the exhibition throughout New Zealand. A great deal of valuable, help had been received from Mr. J. W. .Heenan, Under-Secretary for Internal Affairs, and from Mr. G. A. Hayden, secretary of the National Patriotic Fund Board. Not one penny had been spent in expenses, and everything would go to London as it should. The display would be exhibited in other parts of New Zealand and collections .would be taken up. It was hoped that as a result it would be possible to send a substantial sum to London. In Wellington they were fortunate in having the Prime Minister to open the exhibition, for he had only just returned from London where he had seen examples of German savagery and ruthless destruction such as were depicted in the photographs. Priceless Heritages.

The devastation and destruction that hard fallen on British homes and cities and the priceless heritages that had been destroyed were mentioned by Mr. Fraser, wlio said they were meeting at a very critical moment, probably the most critical since September 3, 1939. Their Allies had (been hurled back, probably through Moscow and Leningrad, and uneasiness seemed to be developing in the Far East. He sincerely hoped that as far as the Pacific wars concerned they would be spared what their kinsfolk in Britain hard had to endure. If they should have to endure what was portrayed in the pictures comprising the exhibition he could not ask more than that they show the same indomitable spirit, -unwavering courage and strength of character as. had been shown by the people of Britain in the rain of devastation and death that came down on them from the skies.

Nothing could describe the marvellous heroism of their kith and kin in the Motherland, said Mr. Fraser. In some of the British cities he had visited recently he had seen terrific sights. In one residential area on the Mersey 17,000 homes were destroyed out of 22,000. That gave some idea of the terrible visitation. The British people were standing up courageously and considering plans for rebuilding. Theirs was a spirit that nothing could daunt. One marvelled at the heights human beings could rise to. The photographs depicted what the British people had had to endure, and they had done it without fear and without flinching. These people had fought our battle; they had endured that we might live. Thanks were expressed to the management of the D.1.C., where the exhibition is being held, for its generosity In making space available for the display. The opening ceremony was attended by a representative gathering. . The guests included the High Commissioner in New Zealand for the United Kingdom, Sir Harry Batterbee, and the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Holland. A collection was taken up for the Lord Mayor of London’s Fund for the relief of air-raid distress. (Picture on page 7.)