THE DOMINION AND THE WAR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24631, 12 June 1941, Page 6

THE DOMINION AND THE WAR

The fact that there was an open discussion in the House of Commons on Tuesday regarding the campaigns in Greece and Crete evidently did not suggest to the Government of this Dominion that the public in New Zealand might equally with the public in Great Britain be afforded an opportunity of sharing with members of Parliament the information on this subject which Ministers consider it expedient to divulge. If, as the Acting Prime Minister has said, not more than 5 per cent, of the people of this country have a proper appreciation of what is at stake in the war, it is with the Government that the responsibility for this unfortunate state of affairs must rest. In spite of anything that Mr Nash may say to the contrary, it has been only imperfectly that the aims of the Empire in the conflict have been presented to the public by Ministers, and it would seem that only reluctantly and grudingly has authoritative information about the prosecution of the war been afforded to our people. Yet, as has been well said, this is a peoples’ war. The fact that it is essentially a peoples’ war, in which all sections of the British public, including women and children, are exposed to the perils that are commonly confined to the armed forces, distinguishes it from any war of past times' in the history of the world. And because it is essentially a peoples’ war it is important that the public should be placed in possession of all information concerning it of which the circulation would not be prejudicial to the national interest. Mr Nash has declared on behalf of the Government that nothing would be hidden from the people that could safely be told to them. They will at least be grateful to him for the particulars which he was able to furnish yesterday concerning the casualties suffered by the New Zealand forces in Greece and Crete. There is a certain sad satisfaction in learning, as far as it is possible to learn, the extent of the losses suffered by the New Zealand Division in hostilities waged by them in circumstances that were known to be disadvantageous, but that must be regarded against a background which showed them to be inescapable.