IF BRITAIN GOES DOWN

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21554, 17 January 1940, Page 6

IF BRITAIN GOES DOWN

What Will Become Of Us? Mr Fraser’s Query Maximum War Effort Necessary By Telegraph—Press Association AUCKLAND. January 16. “It is absolutely necessary for the sake of the world and humanity that our efforts should be the maximum. We as a people should dedicate ourselves to the task of doing what we can to achieve success for the forces of democracy throughout the world,” said the Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon. P. Fraser, in his speech at the civic reception tendered to him in Auckland on his first visit after his return from his wartime visit to England. Mr Fraser emphasised what he had said on an earlier occasion, that the British people were showing no sign of war hate or even of animosity against the mass of the German people, nor were they showing elation or joy in the war. They were setting themselves calmly, deliberately and wholeheartedly to the task which involved the whole nation. No one from the highest in the fighting forces would not thank God If the war might encl tomorrow but only if it ended in a way that would ensure world peace for the future. Admittedly it was hard for New Zealand people to realise after their Christmas celebrations that the whole world was threatened and that the lives of their brothers, sisters and relatives in England were menaced every day. There was no part of Britain upon which death might not descend from the air. Stalwart of Democracy His experience had made him realise more than ever, Mr Fraser continued, how wonderful was the spiritual and moral force at work in Great Britain and New Zealand. No country had upheld democracy more strongly than this Dominion. At Geneva the High Commissioner. Mr W. J. Jordan, had stood out on every possible occasion against aggression and aggressors and in support of democratic princinles and the rights of small nations. When the final stand had to be made New Zealand had not hesitated because that stand was in a cause which the Government, with the support of the whole people, had advocated for years. Thus New Zealand had been the first Dominion to enter the war with the Mother Country. “On the level of national things we must not forget that our future is bound up with that of Britain and the British Commonwealth.” said Mr Fraser in appealing for the maximum war effort. “If Britain went down what would become of us Our princioal market for primary produce, on which our standard of liviiig depends to such a large extent, would be gone and there is something worse than that. Let us calmly face the facts. Il certain countries were Invaded to-day would their possessions in the Pacific be left intact? That would be oui- fete. We should be lucky if we got even an opportunity, like some people in Poland. of being shifted somewhere else. All the work done in the last 100 years to develop the countryside and build cities would crumble so far as we were concerned. Our social structure which, with all its shortcomings, we believe to lie the best in the world, together with all our hoped-for opportunities for our children, would be crushed to ruin. Without the British Commonwealth we should be a vassal state perhaps of Germany, perhaps of other countries. Must Face Facts “This is not said to scare you. We must face the facts as they are. With our grounding in idealism and our Christian tradition it is difficult for us to grasp that men can cast aside al', those principles. Neither in Berlin nor in Moscow are there peonle in charge who value human life. The rulers •>) those countries, to gain their own ends are prenared to sacrifice millions of lives. The reply of the British peoples must be effective and it can only be so if we all do our best in this crisis. “Mr Attlee and other leaders in Britain have suggested terms on which peace could be achieved, but the:e has been no response. Those whom we are fighting are out for domination. The most that we can say is that peace will be discussed as soon as it can be discussed on a reasonable and fair basis, but when a man or nation makes a desert and calls it peace, decent people cannot accept such a solution. I am confident that the faith and belief of the decent people of the world will result in a great victory not for any country or for the allies but for humanity—a victory that will make the world a place worthy of the generations of the future.” (Cheers.)