Work and Faith

Southland Times, Issue 24153, 15 June 1940, Page 4

Work and Faith

Everybody should be able to endorse an opinion expressed by Mr J. A. Lee in the House of Representatives on Thursday night. “We want no defeatism,” he said. “Let nobody use the words ‘lf we are defeated.’ We are not going to be That is the line.” It is not always easy to remain unperturbed while grave events are taking place, especially if the scene of action is so far away that no relief can be gained through an immediate participation. The past week has not been a happy time. Every day the news broadcasts and the cable pages have told the same story of an implacable German pressure, until only the blind and foolish could pretend that there was no cause for anxiety. At such times it is necessary to look beyond optimism for the sources of strength and comfort. The spirit of a nation is tempered in adversity, and hours of danger must be accepted as a challenge, not only to faith, but also to the collective will that should be expressing itself in work and preparation. It is useful to remember that British people have faced other days of crisis and peril: history is full of reminders that victory can be gained after severe trials and losses —indeed, it is only tfiis kind of triumph that proves ultimately decisive. But when the spirit has been fortified by backward glances it still requires the relief of a present activity. It is not enough to base confidence on the theory that, because defeat has been averted so often in the past, it can have no place in the future. Work and faith are the inseparable conditions of salvation. New Zealanders who grow depressed under the strain of events should ask themselves if they are doing everything in their power to strengthen their country’s war effort. Mr Lee may have been addressing the people; but he spoke primarily to Parliament. The Government has a special and heavy responsibility. In these perilous days it must give a lead to the people and prove to them in deeds, as well as words, that confidence is not enough. There has been no hint of defeatism in the House of Representatives. But there should be in Parliament and in Cabinet a spirit which faces every possibility and is stimulated by danger to efforts which aim at an ultimate preparedness. The best antidote for defeatism is to work tirelessly for victory.