OPPOSITION LEADER’S APPEAL

Southland Times, Issue 24682, 2 March 1942, Page 4

OPPOSITION LEADER’S APPEAL

NEW, ZEALAND’S SECURITY MENACED In a National Service broadcast last night Mr S. G. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, appealed to the people to face up to the critical position with which New Zealand is confronted. On January 9, 1940 —although the country had had four months of war—the newspapers featured a record score in a Plunket Shield cricket match. Today the news was more grim— Singapore had fallen and Darwin had been bombed. New Zealand’s security was now in jeopardy. Sacrifice in its full meaning was not understood by the people. Everything must be subordinated to the war effort. People who had retired would have to return to work, Reserves of man power and women power were at present untouched. The Government could give a lead by telling where help could be given. Waste must be eliminated. The people of Britain had swung into production and that lesson could be followed by New Zealanders. After two and a-half years we were overtaking our deficiencies. Young men had had to drop everything to take up military duties i and everyone not called up would have to work as never before. Mr Holland declared that wherever inefficiency was found it must be stamped out. He added that nothing was a-greater danger to the war effort than the view that criticism was tantamount to subversion. In New Zealand there was a tendency to stifle criticism. If we had made mistakes let us profit by them and not repeat the errors. Mr Holland said that New Zealand had made a magnificent war effort, but emphasized that it would be little short of tragic if we indulged in smug complacency and imagined there was nothing more to do. Our armed forces had received many bumps, but with increasing supplies and having gained their second wind they would soon be again fighting their way to the goal of victory. • •