THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES Wednesday, December 17, 1941. A WAR FOOTING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24792, 17 December 1941, Page 6

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES Wednesday, December 17, 1941. A WAR FOOTING

The people of New Zealand are beginning to learn by experience what it means to a country when it is placed on a war footing. The .war has within the past few days been brought much closer to us than the war of 1914-1918 ever was. As. a consequence the public is being required to submit to restrictions that have at no previous time been applied in this country. It must be accepted that there- is a need for the imposition of. these restrictions. The Government knows a great deal better than any private individual can possibly know what the conditions are that have called for. the adoption of the ' somewhat drastic steps that have been announced this week. There can be no argument—or there should be thq decisions at- which the Government has arrived concerning, for instance, the restrictions in the use of petrol and the restrictions upon holiday travel, nor should there be any attempt to evade them. These decisions would not have been made ifi there had 'not been an overwhelmingly strong reason . for making them. The cause of the introduction of the restrictions in the use of petrol will be readily appreciated. No hardship will be suffered by members of the public in their being severely rationed in their consumption of this commodity, or in their being even denied supplies of it. ; A personal inconvenience only will be caused—an inconvenience that: Will' certainly be felt ;in various it will count as nothing in the balance against the national interestvthat will be served through the Government having at its disposal all the available supplies for ,use in the event Of emergency. The long-delayed and still postponed restrictions on racing and the regulations with respect to travelling, will, like the petrol restriction regulations, have the effect, the not undesirable effect, of helping to bring home to all of us a sense of the reality of the fact that our country is at war and that it is exposed to war perils. The precise explanation of some-of the regulations to which'the public is now subject may hot be apparent to everyone. ■lt is hot.. necessary, however, in a community that is well-disciplined, as every community should be if it is to wage a war successfully, that the motives which actuate; the Government to form t certain decisions in a period of emergency should be perfectly understood. A part of the duty, which is required of every loyal and responsible citizen in time of war is that he shall respond willingly and cheerfully to the demands that are made . upon., him in '■. \he public interest. They may be demands that "he shall" work harder .and produce more than he Has been doing or that he shall forgo some pleasure which he had been anticipating. He must trust the Government sufficiently >tO' credit it with not requiring him to do anything, that is not essential to the efficient prosecution of the war.,His personal desires must be completely subordinated to the public needs. The interest of the nation and the preservation of national security constitute the first consideration. To it everything else must give way.