A WRONG IMPRESSION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 13 February 1942, Page 2

A WRONG IMPRESSION

ITo the Editor) ,1 Sir. -Since the Japanese entered the war and events in the Pacific have moved increasingly to our disadvantage, and Australia and New Zealand have been forced to realise the possibility of • j conflict on their own soils, the tone of 1 | public opinion in these two countries has not been exactly complimentary to i our national prestige I refer to the ; semi-hysterical appeals to America for , help and an ill-balanced criticism of Great Britain No one will disagree with the Governments of countries so situated taking ; dispositions of the Empire and America : with a view to making sure that their own particular necessities would have full consideration but the continuous sounding of the “5.0.5.” and the local- ' ising of all our criticisms on the Mother Country must sound to the rest of the world like “squealing before wc are hurt.” Such coming from countries which have produced some yf the best fighting material ever welded into an ; army seems inexplicable and appears to indicate a flaw in our national character. However one cannot believe that there’is such a flaw. It is preferable to think that the most vociferous of our complainants, great or small, have no ancestral affinity with England. Scotland. Wales or Northern Ireland or perhaps not even with any part of the Empire. Such are always looking for a stick to beat John BulL but it must be admitted such inspired attacks on Churchill's Island have not been publicly resented as they should have been. After all. New Zealand is British to the heart and any real attempt at a parting of the ways would create a storm that would surprise the instigators. It can , be admitted that our military ventures have merited severe criticism but such <, is attachable to our racial defects, found everywhere in the Empire (and also U.S A., as Pearl Harbour proved). New Zealand has its share of bunglers as the present mucking about with our Home defence forces demonstrates. At this acute stage they have decided : on a reorganisation in the National Re- - serve and Home Guard; the duties of t both have been known to everybody 1 else to be similar. Initiating this in- < spired move to segregate those with < varicose veins from those with unblemished legs, Army chiefs have forgotten that here, as in Britain, the Home Guard was the manifestation of a determination to fight for their own homes by those who were technically unfit for the legitimate forces. When a devastating fire is raging helpers are . not asked if they are up to fire brigade 1 standard and if the Japanese conflagra- • tion reaches here, New Zealanders will fight, whether fit or not. This Dominion can “take it” as the Old Country did in i the Battle of Britain but until the time ( comes to prove it. we should put finish i to conveying a world-wide impression j that our courage departed from the shores when the 2nd N.Z.E.F. went overseas. The writer, as others, is highly appreciative of the co-operation we are receiving from America, but is also confident that the vast majority of New 1 Zealand manhood will be in the fight, ( with outside help or, on our own.— I j am, etc., c “MR STANDFAST.” J Nelson, 11th February. ( —- ]