Auckland Motion On Russian Relations

Northern Advocate, 5 September 1941, Page 6

Auckland Motion On Russian Relations

[Special to “Northern Advocate”] AUCKLAND, This Day. More than 2000 people were present at a meeting -organised by the New Zealand Society for Closer Relations with Russia in the Town Hall last night. The proceedings opened with the National Anthem and the “Internationale,” and the New Zealand Ensign and Soviet flag were displayed on either side of the stage. Professor W. A. Sewell, read the following cablegram from the Soviet Ambassador in London (M. Maisky) to the organisers of the recent meeting in the Domain : "Please accept my sincere thanks for admiration of my country’s heroic resistance expressed by 5000 Auckland citizens and their desire to extend aid and friendship.” Thei’e was a good deal of derisive laughter when an announcement was made by the chairman that the Mayor (Mr. Allum), had declined with regret an invitation to preside, as he would be at a meeting of the Municipal Association in Wellington. Mction Of Admiration Mr. H. Atmore. M.P., said that 36 hours after the meeting in the Wellington Town Hall a cablegram had been received from Moscow congratulating New Zealand on its gesture of friendship. He moved the following motion: “That this meeting of citizens of Auckland, assembled in the Town Hall, being united above all differences of party politics and creed in admiration for the magnificent resistance of the Russian people to Nazi aggression, sends its greetings to the people of the U.S.S.R. and expresses its conviction that the struggle in which the British Commonwealth of Nations and Soviet Russia and their Allies are now engaged must end with the defeat of Nazism and Fascism throughout the world.” The motion was carried without dissent.