EMPIRE DEFENCE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19881, 7 March 1939, Page 14

EMPIRE DEFENCE

CONFIDENCE OF NUFFIELD SPIRIT IN BRITAIN FEET A NCI DURING CRISTS WORRIED BUT NOT AFRAID (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. "The British -Empire has been on top and' is atilt going to be on top, -and if there is anyone who wants to tear it to pieces I can only say they will meet with -disaster,” , said Viscount Nuffield, When referring to the recent European crisis in the course of his reply to a toast to him at a dinner given in his honour by the chairman of directors of Dominion Motors, Limited, Sir Charles Norwood, last night. Lord Nuffield- said that the next war would be a world war, but he booed the nations would all see reason in the future and obviate such a catastrophe. “Coming as I do from the other side of the world, where not so long ago a crisis prevailed, I would like to try to give -a little comfort to people so far away, for the reason that I do not think -that on many occasions you get the right information at this distance,” said Lord Nuffield. “At the time of the crisis we were all very worried, but not afraid.

"I can say here to-night that the army and the navy at. that time had never .been in better condition in the history of England. We certainly were short in- the air, but had it been necessary to fight I think other people would have found that we had more strength than they expected.”