PART OF R.S.A. IN WAR EFFORT

Southland Times, Issue 24773, 18 June 1942, Page 5

PART OF R.S.A. IN WAR EFFORT

Prime Minister’s Tribute (P.A.) WELLINGTON, June 17. Impressive speeches, having as the keynote sober confidence in victory for the Allied cause, were made at the opening of the twentysixth annual meeting of the Dominion Council of the New . Zealand Returned Services Association. The speakers were the GovernorGeneral, Sir Cyril Newall, the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, and the American Minister, Brigadier-General P. J. Hurley. The Governor-General said the annual report showed clearly the immense amount of work the association had achieved and the very wide field it covered. He thought the change of name to the Returned Services Association was a wise move, since it brought in some elements which, for one reason or another, were perhaps reluctant or diffident about joining the association. Mr Fraser expressed appreciation of the vigorous and enthusiastic support the R.S.A. had given to the war effort since the outbreak. “I have had a particular responsibility during all that time, and nevei - have die returned soldiers failed,” said Mr Fraser. One glance at Kharkov, Sebastopol and Tobruk would show that the Allied nations were still facing a very grim situation, and the tide ot war might oscillate forward in their favour or backwards in the enemy’s favour. Times like the present, and times perhaps even more severe that they might be called upon to face, tried men’s minds and souls, and he knew that as in the past the R.SA.. would lead a strong, victorious sentiment among the people of New Zealand. PROGRESS IN PACIFIC In the Pacific the Allied cause had made some considerable progress, but they must not be caught in the snare of over-optimism, and no effort must be relaxed, said Mr Fraser. Any person who imagined there was immunity from attack on New Zealand was living in a fool’s paradise, but whether there was an attack or not, whether bombs rained down from the skies or not, whether the enemy set foot in the country to be hurled back, if'the spirit of die R.SA. animated the whole of the people of New Zealand there could be nothing but victory for them in the long run. Brigadier-General Hurley said it had been an inspiration to him to find how wholeheartedly New Zealand was in this fight. He said there was a wave of over-enthusiasm at the moment when people talked about the results of the Coral Sea and Midway actions and the wonderful attacks being made on Germany by the R.A.F., but it should be remembered that the aggressive and offens’ve spirit was not in boasting about vfhat had been accomplished. The aggressive and offensive spirit was just as essential as war material and manpower in the will to win through to victory. “We can make up our minds that we will fight and that we will win, but let us not claim it until we have done it,” he said.