FIRM WITH BRITAIN

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 136, 6 December 1939, Page 4

FIRM WITH BRITAIN

NEW ZEALAND'S STAND

MR. FRASER'S DECLARATION

SOCIAL PROGRESS

(By Air Mail, from "The Post's" London Representative.) 4 LONDQN, IJoyemberflO.

"The fate of New Zealand is bound up with that of the United Kingdom. We stand together .in our common determination to carry on until Freedom is crowned with victory," said Mr. Peter Fraser, Minister of Education*!in. a broadcast, talk to. listeners in Great Britain. • , ■-'

•'lf the United Kingdom were defeated the whole fabric of social justice which we are erecting in New Zealand would collapse. That would be a calamity to us, and we believe to the mass of the people everywhere.

"But there is to be no defeat, no collapse of social progress in • NewZealand or elsewhere. Rather, as a result of the overthrow of the advocates of oppression and world domination, will the social and economic progress of the mass of the people advance more rapidly and more widespread than ever before.

"The wartime spirit of Great Britain is.not one of vain 'boasting, of idle threats, of vindictive revenge, or of a glorification of war. On the contrary, there is a complete absence of what used to be known as aggressive jingoism, seK-glbrirication, and hatred of the enemy. But the hatred and detestation of the principles, or rather, collection of ideas, which have brought the great German nation down to such depths of political and moral turpitude —as witness the cruelties and torture* of the concentration camps and elsewhere as revealed in the recent "Whit* Paper—that detestation is deep, determined, and abiding. . • ' STAND .FOR DEFINITE CAUSE. "The British Commonwealth entered the war sadly and reluctantly, but with a great and decided and definite resolve that the Nazi threat to democracy, freedom, and even to the cottiraon decencies of life, would be me,t fairly and squarely, and that all the Commonwealth's vast resources would be utilised willingly and efficiently, far the struggle for international righteousness and fair dealing between nation and nation." •-; Referring to his visit to; London, at the invitation of the British Govern-' ment, together with Ministers from other Dominions, Mr. Fraser said: — "We have come firstly, in order to see for ourselves, the steps that are being taken here; secondly, to discuss in perv son united plans for the future, and the various ways in which each Britisn country can best assist in the common cause. . ' "In addition, I hope the representatives of the Commonwealth, four of us •representing independent sovereign States, will examine all possibilities of formulating and announcing terms on which possibly at some stage peace could be firmly secured and-honour-ably based. . „" "The British Commonwealth is now in such a strong position that thei-e need be no fear that the publication gv, peace terms will be misconstrued ,«** asign of weakness by. even, the most, wilfully blind enemy/as has too attg; been the case in regar&ncy Britain^ efforts previously." COURAGE AND CHEERFULNESS. Commenting on his impressions since arriving in the United Kingdom, Mr. Fraser referred to "the cheerful confidence with which every section of ttte community with whom I have come in contact has faced, % and is facing, their time of trial." y -, - ■ ; "I have seen," he said, • no trace oi.doubt as to the ultimate end, and no s°gn of any want of resolution to take every step and to meet any hardship that may be involved. » • "This country has- kept its-head and its' poise, and it is most cheering to us, coming from the other end of tfte earth, to find the British people lacing up to their problems with such courage and cheerfulness. That courage and that cheerfulness will certainly help greatly to'carry us through. • % "My second impression is no less important. I have been greatly impressed-; with the careful thought "that is constantly being given to every measure —great and small—that has a bearing on the efficient conduct of war operations, and in particular, for the com-• forf and welfare of the men of the various Forces. WIIXING CO-OPERATION.' "Thirdly, I have been struck with, the spirit of willing co-operation on, the national effort which pervades all sections of the British people. - civil and military. _,'.. . .. "Fourthly, X am convinced mat the defences of Great Britain are excellent And, finally, I have formed the opin-. ion, as fat as a layman can form an opinion, from what I have seen during the past week, that never were the British Navy, Army, and Air Force more efficient than they are at ■ present, and never were they more ably commanded. *».•'- ---"Forecasting the outcome of this dreadful business into which the world has. been-plunged by an unscrupulous tyranny," Mr"- Fraser said:— "In the first place, aggression and international lawlessness must be disposed of. But that is not enough.; We miist this time make a most earnest effort ■-.to1 build "a new world, a world, in' which the rights of small nations will be as secure as those of large nations, in which individual. freedom of conscience and of speech will be assured, in which men and women everywhere will be assured of accesis to all the good things of life, and' in.. which the nations and the people of : the world can co-operate as friends.; and neighbours in the common inHj terests of mankind. ■ .... ■'■-'£

"I believe all these are possible—£ believe they will be achieved, and the people of our Dominion, small in sife but already great in achievement^ whose conditions of life are generally so happy (because they .have obtained a very considerable measure of .social and economic security and comfort), and who have themselves so much' to lose, will be among the foremost in helping to secure for all mankind the liberties and the privileges that they themselves possess in such. large measure." . -'