DECISIVE HOUR AT HAND

Southland Times, Issue 24444, 26 May 1941, Page 5

DECISIVE HOUR AT HAND

MR FRASER’S VIEW CONFIDENCE IN N.Z. TROOPS (N.Z.E.F. Official News Service) CAIRO, May 24. “The next few hours may well prove decisive in the great battle of Crete, said the New Zealand Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, in an interview, “and I am very confident that our New Zealand troops and their gallant Australian, British, Greek and Cretan comrades will succeed in holding Crete against one of the heaviest air attacks yet launched and in circumstances which will never be repeated. Never have conditions been so favourable tor air attack, with the enemy s air bases so close and our men deprived of air support and otherwise handicapped, but I have great hope of the outcome. I know the New Zealand troops and 1 know they are unequalled for. cooperation, unity, tenacity, discipline and individual initiative. They showed their quality in Greece fighting a heroic rearguard action, as did the Australians and Greeks, and they are giving an equally good account of themselves m Crete. “Even if we have to face further reverses it will not change the spirit of the people of New Zealand. We are fighting for great ideals, ideals of freedom and fair dealing between nations which we championed at Geneva oe-

fore the League of Nations. It was those ideals which led us into the war unasked by the Mother Country. We are the smallest in area and population of all the Dominions, but our spirit is surpassed by none and come what may, even if the war zone extends, we shall continue to fight for the ideals in which we believe. “The Navy has given our men wonderful support in the Battle of Crete. With the Navy and the heroic men on shore I feel we shall win through. Mr Fraser paid a warm tribute to the people of Egypt, British and Egyptian, for the welcome they had given the New Zealand troops and for the organizations they had set up for the cultural and material welfare of the troops.