BRITAIN’S CAUSE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 10 September 1941, Page 7

BRITAIN’S CAUSE

; AN ENGLISHWOMAN’S PLEA ! (To the Editor! : Sir, —Electors of Nelson will be specially interested in the following letter, I which has just appeared in the "Herald,” from Mrs Gladys R. Fraser, an ’ Englishwoman now living in Auckland. There is no need for comment; the pro- , test is more than justified.—l am, etc., NELSONIAN. t Auckland, 7th Sept. “I am a recent visitor from London. } Having a maritime training, my hus--1 band for this war returned to the sea ; after retirement following the 1914-18 c v'ar. He allayed his anxiety for our s young daughter and myself by obtaining our passages from London, where I left my home on 24 hours’ notice. In that home I left all my belongings, all s my precious things, in fact, all my 2 world. The only news I have since received about that home is from my hus- * band, who was able to visit it when a ’ ship in which he sailed called at London. He described it as bomb-damaged and much of my precious world dc--1 stroyed. “My loss is one of the least of 1 losses. I still have my daughter and ‘ my husband. That British folk have g suffered frightfully I need not recount. e but the reason prompting this letter suggests that it cannot be recalled too n often. Britain is suffering thus because e she took up the cause of the man who was fallen upon by thieves. 8 CRITICISM OF BRITAIN k “I attended a meeting in aid of y Russia held in the Town Hall, Auckg land, on Thursday night, but I left before the meetin. was finished. I heard three speakers—the chairman. Professor Sewell, Mr H. Atmore, a member of your Parliament, and the Rev. Alexander Hodge. “I was appalled to note that not one 1 of these speakers had a charitable word “> to speak for Great Britain, but each r in turn took opportunity to mention 0 a number of incidents in history (even - going back to 1807) which they rer cited as discreditable to Britain. Mr 2 Atmore especially took advantage of 2 his privilege of a platform to vilify the r name of our Mother Country. Presi--2 dent Roosevelt was mentioned in a 1 favourable light by one speaker, but “ not one word favourable to our Mr r Churchill was spoken. Truly that por--2 tion of the meeting I was present at 2 was in the hands of Anglophobians. s MORE LOYALTY NEEDED J “Why should this condition exist in your New Zealand community? Are some of your people so ignorant of what has happened in Europe during recent years that no curb is being placed on such an exhibition of misj representation that I listened to? r “Even only as a visitor seeking a kindly shelter in ycur happy and safe land, may I appeal for more demonstration of loyalty to the British way of life and thought. Are you in New Zealand only half-hearted in your belief that for all its shortcomings that way of life and thought is as yet the best in the world, ,nd ha„ done, and * is doing, the best for humanity. e “I plead with you 5n behalf of my country that your public buildings are _ not made available, particularly at this e time, to heap discred . on those who 3 have suffered so much for the uplift of 2 the world.” y - -