IF TEST COMES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVI, Issue 21362, 3 June 1939, Page 22

IF TEST COMES

All Must Do Their Share Empire Becoming Stronger Failure Means Reign of Tyranny By Telegraph—Press Association AUCKLAND, June 2. While urging the absolute necessity of everybody doing his or her share in the preparation of Dominion and Empire defences, an expression of hope that the present threats to world peace would pass was voiced by the GovernorGeneral, Viscount Galway, when responding to the toast in his honour at the annual prize night of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. “I certainly think we may feel,” said Lord Galway, “that with every month that passes we in the British Empire are becoming stronger and stronger, appreciably more stronger indeed than our potential opponents in Europe. I believe that these aggressor nations would probably rely upon lightning blows to strike us down at the very commencement of war. If we can hold out for the first few months then we would in the end be able to survive and come to victory, but the way before us would be thorny and hard, and we would have to put all our energy to the last ounce of our reserves into trying to save the British Empire, and through the Empire, civilisation. Failure, and upon this we have no illusions, would bring a reign of tyranny such as we cannot conceive, but one thing we have which no other nations have, and that is staying power. We would see it through no matter what it cost. We would go with it to the end. It might take everything we have, everything we possess in material and other things, everything we treasure which has been passed down to us by preceding generations, but we would stay with the fight. We would not give up, and that is a great potential deterrent to any aggressor knowing our ways. Black Clouds Will Pass “However,” said Lord Galway, “I still think these black clouds will pass if we can hold them back for eight months or a year until the end of the European campaigning season is over. We have to remember, of course, what the firing of one gun might do. We recently saw what seriousness attended the firing of one shot in Danzig, and in these times of grave crisis it cannot be overlooked that one seemingly small happening can start anything. We still hope that common sense will prevail, and we also believe that in Europe there are vast numbers of people who fear the thought of war. The only thing that will preserve peace, however, is if we are strong enough to maintain it, and I am confident that as one year succeeds another we will have become so strong to this end that the strain will be lifted, and as this happens, and as Singapore comes to her full power for good, the strain will also be certainly lifted off Australia and this Dominion, but we must take our share in what is being done.” Strain On England’s Finances His Excellency proceeded: “We cannot expect England to bear the whole burden. There is no need for me to tell you what a colossal strain England’s finances are now undergoing in the cause of peace and the defence of this Empire, and everybody must do their share to assist. Surely we must do this. Surely it is not too much to do when such important things are at stake—the strength and solidity of the British Empire and the saving of civilisation. “If the test comes,” Lord Galway added, “there must be no square pegs in round holes. Everybody must be used to the best advantage. That is the problem being worked out at present, and I feel that when this problem and others have been solved we will have enormous potential strength from New Zealand.”