The Home Front

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20254, 23 May 1940, Page 14

The Home Front

Sir, —Our home front in New Zealand calls for some self-examination. There are some bad spots in it. One weakness is the number of aliens —so-called refugees from enemy persecution. How many are not genuine refugees and how many have come under false pretences to be ready to help Germany? We cannot answer that question, but take the risk of allowing hundreds of these aliens the same freedom as nativeborn New Zealanders. Francs interned the whole lot and asked questions afterwards. She refused to take the chances we are taking—chances which Britain under Mr. Churchill is now refusing to take. A second weakness is allowing leaflets and other publications to circulate here, all through which there runs an underlying theme of enemy propaganda—of hostility to Britain, and the Empire. While British trade unions forgo their holidays, work longer hours, and have relaxed restrictions, in New Zealand a farmer is prosecuted for using non-union labour for shearing, and the court lays it down, that sheep must go unshorn until union labour is available. This while Britain is calling for wool! Again she calls for food, hut trade unions encourage stop-work meetings, which delay our ships, and so on in o'her occupations. We are literally fighting for our lives and very existence as free people, yet we tamely permit the. continuation of weaknesses on our home front, which are helping a ruthless and unscrupulous enemy to undermine our defences. Instead of talking about doing our utmost in the war, it would be better for the powers that be to take oil their gloves and tacklf the antiBritish and subversive acts, propaganda and influences which are undoubtedly at work in New Zealand. If it is not dealt with firmly we shall risk as bad a betrayal as Norway suffered. N.Z. WELFARE LEAGUE.