NO UTOPIA AFTER WAR

Southland Times, Issue 24601, 25 November 1941, Page 6

NO UTOPIA AFTER WAR

STERN DAYS TO BE FACED (P.A.) WELLINGTON, November 24. The Wellington Town Hall was crowded for the civic reception to Mr Alfred Duff Cooper and Lady Diana Duff Cooper, whose arrival at Rongotai from Christchurch by air was delayed until 11.35. The welcome of the citizens was unusually warm and applause punctuated the whole proceedings. Both the Mayor (Mr T. C. A. Hislop) and the Minister of Finance (the Hon. W. Nash) stressed the outstanding contribution which Mr Duff Cooper had made to Empire politics, particularly during the present war. Replying, Mr Duff Cooper said that the welcome he had received in New Zealand had made him wondei' whetherhe was not enjoying himself ‘too much. There was no harm in pleasure on legitimate occasions but, as had been suggested by Mr Nash, there were some persons who did not realize the seriousness of the present struggle. He had met nobody in New Zealand who was not fully seized with the importance of the present situation facing the world. It was clear either that Hitler and all who supported his cause must be utterly destroyed or else the British Empire, every part of it and all it stood for, would become but a memory. Hitler’s aim was world conquest. EMPIRE CO-OPERATION Mr Duff Cooper referred to the dark days after the conquest of the Low Countries and the collapse of France, when Britain stood without allies except her Dominions. Referring to the closer co-operation which would be brought about by his visit, he said that we must not expect when the cease fire sounded that we could all walk into a Utopia. There would be a stern and terrible time to face when the war was over, and the British Commonwealth could take a step towards facing it by getting to know one another better because it would only be by some international effort that lasting peace would be secured. The British people had shown what could be done by cooperation and after they had won the war the Empire would be more solid than ever and more able to contribute to a finer and better world.