ANTI-WAR STICKERS

Grey River Argus, 20 March 1940, Page 9

ANTI-WAR STICKERS

MR FRASER’S CRITICISM. HAMLTON. March 18. 1 The discovery of stickers bearing anti-war inscriptions on dairy produce loaded on an overseas ship at Auckland was commented upon by the De-puty-Prime Minister, the Hon. _P. Fraser, in an address at a recruiting meeting in the Bl'edisloe Hall. Amid applause, he stated that the time had come when the Government must put a stoo to that sort of thing. ‘Attempts are being made to disturb the unity of the people of this country,” Mr Fraser said. “ do not want to speak in anything like a threatening or an exaggerated way. for I believe these people are very few. but those misguided workers who placed the stickers on to dairy produce crates are doing the greatest wrong to this country.”

By means of these stickers a message might be received by dock workers in Liverpool and London that represented New Zealand and its people, for very few believed the utter rubbish that was printed upon them. The time had come when the Government, in the name of the people, must put a stop to that sort of thing. It was not freedom of speech or even freedo inof controversy. It was a deliberate misrepresentation of the people and spirit of the Dominion, and an apparent effort to hinder the war organisation and purposes or the people. Mr Fraser referred to the type or propaganda commonly used, and observed that one of the most amazing tl/ings to attempt to justify was the attack upon Finland. He added that people who listened to the Moscow radio accepted everything that was said and acted upon it in this country, were acting not as New Zealand citizens, but as representat ves, protagonists and agents of a foreign country. And that would have to be considered.