HOUR OF SERVICE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23955, 2 November 1939, Page 8

HOUR OF SERVICE

NATIONAL WAR EFFORT MR HAMILTON’S APPEAL VITAL ISSUES AT STAKE (Special to Daily Times) AUCKLAND, Nov. 1. “ Get into the work—your country needs your effort in whatever capacity you are gifted to serve,” said the Leader of the Opposition (Mr A. Hamilton) when addressing 150 delegates from National Party branches in the Raglan electorate at Ngaruawahia to-day. It was the duty of every New Zealander to support the sacrifices being made by those who were joining up, Mr Hamilton said, to protect our British heritage and uphold its principles, In defence of those principles we were fighting against an attempt by an aggressive dictatorship to spread throughout the world conditions which were the opposite of freedom and justice, and threatened a death-blow at the structure of Christian civilisation. The issue was clear. It was a war in which the common man of every democratic country was vitally interested.

“As ever, England is already carrying the heat and burden of the day and the terrible shock of conflict.” Mr Hamilton said. “I am appealing to you all to get into the work. This is the hour for service, not for vagueness, or half-heartedness, or doubt. There may be much we see about us that we consider is not expressive of the whole-hearted patriotic support for which I am appealing. I agree that that is disturbing, but let us first remember our duty to put every ounce of effort into the support of Great Britain in this war. “I have no doubt.” Mr Hamilton added, “that subversive influences in New Zealand will meet with abrupt and summary treatment if they raise their ugly heads too high. It is part of everyone’s job to be on his or her guard against a stab in the back at home. The language and mischief of dictators will never be tolerated in this British democracy.”