BRITAIN’S UNITY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20634, 14 August 1941, Page 5

BRITAIN’S UNITY

“TRULY MAGNIFICENT” ALL-PARTY MINISTRY MR. FRASER’S TRIBUTE (Reed. Aug. 14, 9 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 12. Summing up the impressions of his visit to Great Britain, the New Zealand Prime Minister, Mr. P. Fraser, said: “The nation’s unity is most inspiring, wonderful, and truly magnificent. Nothing can shake or break it. “It is fusing all that is best in British hearts. It will withstand any attack. It has grown stronger with each shock. It is fittingly typified by a Ministry of able, earnest, energetic and devoted men from all parties with the intrepid and dauntless Mr. Churchill at the head. •‘The Allied executives in London are fully united and determined to carry on the struggle until the aggressor nations are overthrown and subjugated peoples liberated. “A few weeks ago, much talk of industrial absenteeism, slackening and inefficiency resulted in painting an altogether too black a picture of the condition of Britain’s war industry. This, when sent abroad, conveyed a wrong and altogether too pessimistic impression. Change-over To War Economy “There may have been and probably still is a certain amount of these evils, and they should be dealt with as effectively and drastically as circumstances require, but their extent should not be magnified out of all proportion to their importance. “As a result, they obscure in some measure the enormous amount of fine ( work accomplished. Great work has been done in the fields, factories, workshops, mines, shipyards, railways,, docks and offices. Tne change-over from peace to war economy on such an unprecedented scale within lo months was a gigantic task, reflecting great credit on the administrators and the people generally.” After paying a tribute to Britain’s new army of workers, Mr. Fraser added: “The land, sea and air defences I have seen are only a very small part of the national defences, but impressed me very much, as did the Home Guard and other war services. I am certain that any attempted invasion will be overwhe-m-d and crushed. ••i nowhere, however, saw signs of complacency or foolish self-deception. There is confidence everywhere. t “I carry home with me pictures of a nation organised in every way foxvictory.”