THE PACIFIC THEATRE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26559, 6 September 1947, Page 2

THE PACIFIC THEATRE

Sir,—The Leader of the Opposition surely was historically inaccurate when he said in his radio broadcast speeeh on the Budget that but for Britain New Zealand would have been occupied by the Germans. According to the records Germany was never at any time in a position to wage a Pacific war of aggression and occupation. But it has been revealed that in 1942 Japan did seriously contemplate the occupation of both Australia and New Zealand, and it was also revealed that Britain (as was proved at Singapore. Dutch East Indies, and Burma) had no power fit to oppose the Japanese either on sea or land. Surely Mr Holland in his over-anxious desire to bolster the Mother Country, might have been a little more generous towards an ally, and at the same time had more regard for the truth. When the people of Auckland City sighed with relief in 1942 when the first Allied army of more than 10,000 men, with full equipment, landed there and marched through the streets they were in no doubt as to the soldiers’ nationality. — I am, etc., G. A. Balclutha, August 28.