VITAL STRUGGLE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24771, 22 November 1941, Page 8

VITAL STRUGGLE

THE NEW OFFENSIVE SUPPORT ON HOME FRONT APPEAL BY SIR CYRIL NEWALL (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 21., “The news we have received of the new offensive is scanty. What there is of it is good,” said the GovernorGeneral, Sir Cyril Newall, in an address to the combined patriotic societies of Canterbury to-night. “We have all been waiting expectantly for a move in the Middle East, and now that the move has come all we know for certain is that our sons and brothers and friends are once more engaged in a vital struggle for us and all that we live for. ■

“ Let us take this occasion, one of the most momentous of the war, to repew our pledges that we shall leave Nothing undone which we could do to help them," said Sir Cyril. “Let us strengthen our resolve to be worthy of their sacrifices. It shall never be said of us that we have failed them." Speaking of the war situation today, his Excellency said it was very difficult for them, far removed as they were from the battle front, to realise how grim the-struggle was. They all read the newspapers and listened to the radio; but it required a great effort of will power and a keen imagination to realise what the items of news which they read and heard clearly really meant in terms of material damage and human suffering. That effort had to be made continually by each one of them, for only by that effort would they be urged to devote to their cause all the energy which they could muster. Complacwas a menace against which they had to keep an increasing watch. “Our Russian allies are .fighting magnificently. They are doing far better. than anyone could have imagined,’’ said Sir Cyril, “ but they cannot win the war for us. No one. can do that. We must win it for ourselves, and we-; would not have it otherwise. They can help us and we must help them, but we must win'our own war for ourselves.” , ,