United Voice Will Be Heeded By World

Northern Advocate, 18 January 1944, Page 6

United Voice Will Be Heeded By World

(Serial) CANBERRA. This Day. “If New Zealand and Australia attended the Imperial Conference and subsequent world councils with a common policy and spoke with one voice, then they would be heeded,” declared Australia’s last war Prime Minister (Mr. W. M. Hughes) speaking at a Commonwealth Government luncheon to the New Zealand Ministers. This, he added, would give every hope for a settlement of problems of the Pacific. The United Kingdom High Commissioner in Australia (Mr. Ronald Cross) said that while lie could not say what the dictates of high strategy would be, he personally hoped that this strategy might mean that important forces from the United Kingdom would join Australian and New Zealand forces fighting in the Pacific, thus further cementing the imperial bonds between the three nations. Australia and New Zealand were “mates" in a real sense of the word, said the Prime Minister (Mr. Curtin). The two countries were not seeking the millenium, but were working as rapidly and energetically as possible towards social conditions which would bring a maximum of comfort and a minimum of hardship. Mr. Fraser’s Reply In matters of economics, trade and population it was absolutely imperative that the point of view of New Zealand and Australia be clearly understood. said Mr. Fraser, replying to the welcoming speeches. Australia, a wonderful country of untold resources, had played a part in the war which would stand to her eternal credit. The Commonwealth's industrial expansion had consistently surprised New Zealand Ministers who paid wartime visits to this country. “What you are asking Australians to do, we are asking New Zealanders do,” declared the Prime Minister. “They will be asked increasingly to share what they have with the people of the United Kingdom.” The New Zealand Minister for Defence (Hon. F. Jones) thanked Australia for the great assistance to New Zealand seiwice personnel. Australia had given generously of her store of war equipment at a time when she herself was hard put to it. Mr. Webb is Proud Criticising workers who absented, themselves from their wartime duties, the Hon. P. Webb said he had been delighted at the way the New Zealand Federation of Labour had linked with the Government to further the prosecution of the war. Only two cases of industrial stoppages in New Zealand had lasted beyond one day. He was proud of New Zealand coalminers who, in a year, had held “only one or two little stopwork meetings." Any worker holding up production was helping the enemy, he said.