FREEDOM OF LONDON

Evening Star, Issue 25172, 11 May 1944, Page 4

FREEDOM OF LONDON

- CONFERREDON MR FRASER CEREMONY AT GUILDHALL Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright (Rec. 10 a.m.) LONDON, May 10. Mr Fraser, with Mr Curtin, received the Freedom of the City of London in the Guildhall. After the ceremony Mr Fraser said: " When it seemed to the world that your shores and our shores— Britain is our mother country—were opened to invasion by the Nazi and Fascist forces, there came Australian and New Zealand forces ready to fight and die to prevent one foot of one invader landing on the sacred soil of Britain. Our boys were received gladly and hospitably. They got the freedom of your homes, clubs, and organisations. They got the freedom of Loudon and the freedom of the people of the United Kingdom, and we thank you sincerely. When I was. looking at the devastated areas of London someone said to me: ' You' are certainly seeing the city at its worst.' I replied: 'Yes, I see the _ city at its worst, but its people at their best.' " Instancing the closeness of the cooperation between the countries of the' British Commonwealth Mr Fraser said early in the war Britain was very short of small-arms ammunition. New Zealand had 10,000,000 rounds of smallarms ammunition. She decided to send half. Mr Mackenzie King was cabled asking him to send the amount direct to Britain to save time. New Zealand offered to repay what was sent •to Britain. The ship with the consignment from New Zealand was sunk by a German mine, but the 5,000,000 rounds reached Britain. _ Mr Fraser recalled a postscript to.a letter written to him b v General Freyberg from Mersa Matruh: "\Vearrived here in the evening, and in the morning we arc going up the escarpments to meet Rommel head on. Mr Fraser commented: "Head on. _ lhat was and is. the srarit of the dominions and'the spirit of "Britain—to get right into them."