SEMPLE TARGET

Evening Star, Issue 23270, 19 May 1939, Page 5

SEMPLE TARGET

ATTACK ON WAR PROFITEERS DEFENCE LEAGUE " SCAREMONGERS " WHY HE WENT TO THE " COOLER ’’ [Per United Press Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, May 18. An attack on war profiteers and defence leagues, which he associated with men he declared, plundered the nation in 181418, a frank statement of his own attitude to war and his past attitude, and an explanation of the efforts being made by the Government in preparation for the defence of New Zealand were made in eloquent style by the Minister of Public Works (Mr Semple) tonight. Mr Semple spoke in support of Mill. M. M'Farlane’s candidature for the Christchurch South seat. “ We are told wc are dome nothing to defend New Zealand,” Mr Semple said. “I am telling you that we are doing 100 per cent, more than the other follow thought of doing and the work is there to be seen. We are building aerodromes in weeks and months. It would have taken them till the crack of doom to build one. “Some say, ‘You are not a military man, Mr Semple.’ No, I never was/’ tlie Minister said. But I d.o believe that .we are living in a restless, uncertain world. We do not want to go to war with anybody. No one with a grain of common sense wants it. BUILDING DEFENCE QUIETLY. “ These defence leagues that are developing,” Mr Scmpie said, ” are composed of a gang or scaremongers. Tnat is wiiat 1 tumk of them, xiiey want to create a psychology of lour. Wo want to build in a quiet, reasonable and rational lasniou a deieuco system in this country to protect New Zealand from invasion U it comes. We are in duly bound to do that in the interests oi our kiddies. Wo are oiuy trustees in our tune. We are here to-aay, and gone to-morrow, out tbe toddlers have to stay tor a long time, and the least we can leave them is a measure oi security wrapped in safety. " By that 1 am not napping a Hag nor singing jihjoistic songs/’ tlie Minister said. “ We are plodding away to build a New Zealand defence system which will make others think twice before coming here. The Public Works Department is composed* of 23,000 hard-working men, and tuo latest construction uracninery, and could be formed into a valuable part of the defence system. 1 am going out next .week to organise these follows into a mechanised battallioa to defend the country if the occasion warrauts.it,” Mr Semple announced. “ In the Great War/’ he said, “ 1 was in the ‘ cooler/ I would commit a similar offence to-morrow. I make no apology to anybody for what 1 did, and 1 would just as soon repudiate ray Ministerial career before 1 would altop fighting the war profiteers. 1 repeated when I came out what I got three years for. My offence was that I attacked the ruthless profiteering and blood-thirsty plundering that went on in this country'. I told them what I thought should have been done when war was declared. Because they said my advocacy was against their policy and against recruiting they said I had seditious tendencies.” DRAWING PROFITEERS’ FANGS. Declaring that he was out to defend New Zealand, Mr Semple said he would not say to the young fellows, “ You go.” He would himself be in the front trench, but before he went he and his colleagues would see that the war profiteers’ fangs were extracted. Because he fought the greatest scandal and the greatest piece of robbery ever imposed upon a suffering people he went to gaol. “ The defence leagues growing up in this country are the associates in war of those men who plundered the nation 1914-18. You will find, they will find, and the world will find that if the call conies for Mr Savage and his Government to play the game in the defence of the liberty, home, life, stability, and security of the people we will be there at the death knock and those xiolitical ninnies will be out of sight.”