CONTRIBUTION TO WAR EFFORT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 10 January 1940, Page 7

CONTRIBUTION TO WAR EFFORT

PART DOMINION IS PLAYING

MR FRASER’S COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW GIVEN IN BROADCAST ADDRESS

PROMISES AND COMMITMENTS TO BRITAIN MUST BE HONOURED

A comprehensive review of New Zealand’s contribution to the war effort of the British Commonwealth of Nations was given by the Deputy-Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, in a national radio broadcast from Wellington last evening. “The Mother Country and the other Dominions,” he said, “are doing their share nobly and well. Let each and all of us play our part. Our promises and commitments to Britain must be honoured. We must do all we can to help in achieving victory nationally and individually. Those who are eligible and can join up with the forces should certainly do so. The New Zealand Government believes in the voluntary system. It must succeed.

“From 12,000 miles away we had seen the European, indeed, the world, situation deteriorate rapidly.” Mr Fraser said. “All feelings of humanity seemed to have been suppressed, only ruthless and sometimes senseless repression and tyranny ruled triumphant The word of the Nazi dictators, brittle as glass was given only to be broken: their pledges written in shifting sand. Democracy, self-determination, trade unionism, political freedom, religious freedom were suppressed, indeed. trampled underfoot Significantly enough, amidst all this devastating oppression and repression was the crowning stupidity of the burning of books —som* ot them masterpieces of

literature and philosophy. We wondered what had happened—what had gi r e wrong with the great German nation. BLACK FLOOD OF TYRANNY “To us it was only too obvious that this black flood of Nazi tyranny and terrorism had ‘o be stemmed, had to oe turned back to its source, or not democracy only, but civilisation itself would perish *' Mr B'raser continued “In the Council and Assembly of the League of Nations, the voice f New Zealand had been constantly and ci nsistently raised against aggression rnd aggressors and in favour of self-deter-mination, settlement of disputes between nations by arbitration, and collective security

“Therefore, when the United Kingdom decided, along with our French ally, that the time had come to call a halt to the intolerable state of affairs created by Herr Hitler and his associates. New Zealand did not hesitate one moment in taking its stand side bv side, shoulder to shoulder, with the Motherland That is the reason why New Zealand of the overseas Dominions was the first in the field with its declaration of solidarity and partnership in the struggle with Great Britain

“The aim of the Government is to make New Zealand’s war' effort fully commensurate with the desire of the people and the resources of the Dominion Obviously, the first steps that we were required to take related to the defence of our own shores, and within an hour oi two of the outbreak of war examination services had been instituted at the defended ports, vital points were guarded coast defences were manned and a coast-watching organisation was established. . PART OF THE ACHILLES “From the wider pointe of view of the participation of New Zealand in th*» whole British Commonwealth effort our first step was to place the ships of the New Zealand Division o' the Roya> Navy under the operational control of the Admiralty and one of them, the Achilles, has already won renown for the part she played in the action against the Graf Von Spec The Achilles was, ot course, largely manned by New Zealanders whose behaviour throughout the action was warmly commended by their commanding officer. In various other directions New Zealand is assisting to the best of its ability in the naval effort by the provision of men. shiDs and supplies, as the occasion requires.

“Turning now to the army, as one of our first steps _ volunteers were called for for a special force for service in New Zealand or abroad, and immediate preparations were put in hand for the provision of the necessary camps ard training areas Only the first echelon of that force has as yet been in training, but the response from those willing to serve was gratifying. and the men are of the best type of young New Zealand manhood, who will render an excellent account of themselves m any circumstances.

“Steps are now being taken to call up a further body of volunteer*, and T have no doubt at all that young men of the same type will be found in the required numbers The Dominion has been fortunate in securing, as commander ot this Expeditionary Force, a world renowned soldier of proved courage and experience in Major-General Freyberg.

DOMINION’S AIR EFFORT “In the air we had already laid the foundation for an efficient air force, and before war broke out arrangemetns were in hand for the training for the Royal Air Force of 1350 observers, pilots and air-gunners per annum. On the outbreak of war steps were taken to accelerate and extend this programme, and we have now agreed, with the British and other Dominion Governments, to take part in the enormous air training scheme in Canada, under which the Dominion has agreed to train hundreds of pilots, air-gunners and observers. The total men required from New Zealand for training under this scheme is little less than 10,000. New Zealand airmen have already distinguished themselves with their conspicuous bravery and enterprise, and have won great praise.

“That, in general terms, is what we have, up to the present, undertaken in the direct military effort, but that is not all. This Dominion is the source of foodstufFs and other supplies which will be of the utmost value to the common cause. We have already arranged to sell to the United Kingdom at a reasonable price large quantities of our products which are required for the purpose of the war, and we have offered to increase the quantities available or to provide additional oroducts as may be required.

“In all these matters—both military and supply we have acted in the closest consultation with His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom and with the Governments of the other Dominions, and we intend to follow this course throughout.

“While New Zealand has entered the war in support of fundamental principles of freedom and democracy there are other matters involved of first-rate importance to our Dom.nion a.> a free soveieign State of the British Commonwealth The existen 33 of our Commonwealth and of New Zealand as an integral part of it, is a* stake in the present conflict. A defeat for British arms would mean th° end of New Zealand as a self-govern-ing nation Our economic life ano the social fabric which is built on it with its great advantages as compared to many other countries would cohnpse into dust The terrorism and unspeak able cruelties which to-day dominate and crush Austria. Czechoslovakia and Poland would invade our shores, forcibly eliminate all lovers of freedom and darken with tyrannical oppression the lives of this and of future generations.

“New Zealand, cut away from association and co-operation with Great Britain and the British Commonwealth of Nations, would inevitably become a vassal State of Germany or of some other country Our whole national family and individual lives would be torn up and overthrown as is the tragic case in the countries I have mentioned, where hundreds of thousands of people, indeed millions, have been torn up by the roots, transferred wholesale like cattle or sheep, or simply cast adrift to starve and die Torture and the horrors of the concentration camps, which we now shudder even to read about, and which are part of the Nazi technique would become the fate of many of us.” After appealing to all eligible to join the forces, Mr Fraser continued: — MAINTAINING PRODUCTION “The rest of us should and must bend our backs to the many tasks on hand. Men are leaving the farms to join the Expeditionary Force. Their places must be taken by other men who must be willing to leave less essential work to maintain the production of food commodities which means so much to the people of Britain and which we have promised to supply. National service must be the principle, the precept and the practice of all of us. “We must throw ourselves, everyone of us, wholeheartedly into the great work of our national effort for the future of New Zealand, of 'the British Commonwealth and of the world, foi all that is of good and decent repute in the world to-day depends in some mea* sure on what we do. It is difficult in New Zealand with none of our important social activities and amenities even curtailed to realise that there is a war in Europe, to grasp the fact that Great Britain and our kinsmen there, the men, women and children of our race and blood, are daily liable to destruction. devastation and death, and are bravely and nobly facing that trerible fact. They are looking to us to rally to their help.

“The news that New Zealand was sending its incomparable men to help in the common cause and was placing its whole resources at the disposal of the Commonwealth was received with joy in every British home. The people ot Britain, like the people of New Zealand, did not desire war. They want peace on earth, and are prepared to-day to discuss peace terms based upon the principles of democracy and freedom, but they and we were forced into the struggle for our existence and the existence of the principles of life which we hold dear Our lives must be dedicated to the struggle for national and international righteousness.”