WISER COUNSELS MAY YET PREVAIL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 190, 14 August 1941, Page 5

WISER COUNSELS MAY YET PREVAIL

PACIFIC TENSENESS OPINION OF MR. PETER FRASER IMPRESSED WITH BRITAIN’S UNIFIED WAR EFFORT (Recd. 8.40 p.m.) Rugby, Aug. 12 The situation in the Pacific is certainly serious, but there is still time for wiser counsels to prevail than that of aggression.” said the r’nme Minister of New Zealand, Rt. Hon. F. Fraser, broadcasting. "If, despite every effort to maintain peace in the Pacific, the tide of war should reach New Zealand and Australia, I am certain the daughter Dominions xvill show the same calm, and unflinching courage, the same fortitude, the same deep unyielding determination, xvhich has ennobled lhe Motherland. New Zealand xvill stand shoulder to shoulder with the United Kingdom to the end, whatever may come, and that end xvill be victory."

Summing up the impressions of his : visit, to Britain. Mr. Fraser gaid: "The nation's unity is most inspiring, wonderful and truly magnificent.' Nothing can shake or break it. It is the fusing of all that is best in British! hearts; it will withstand any attack:; it. has grown stronger xvith each I shock, it is fittingly typified by the| ministry of able, earnest, energetic! and devoted men from all parties.; with the intrepid, dauntless Churchill; at their head. The Allied executives| in London are all fully united and de-: termined to carry on the struggle! until the aggressor nations arc over-1 thrown and the subjugated peoples: liberated. “A fexv weeks ago there xvas much' talk of industrial absenteeism, a; slackening and inefficiency, resulting! in the painting of an altogether too black a picture of the condition of Britain’s war industry. This, xvhen! sent abroad, conveyed a xvrong, al- 1 together 100 pessimistic, impression. There may have been, and probably still is, a certain amount of these evils and they should be dealt with effectively and as drastically as circumstances require; but their extent should not be magnified out of all proportion to their importance with a result that they obscure some; measure of lhe enormous amount of line work accomplished. “Great work has been done in tin fields, factories, workshops, niinr.->. shipyards, railways, docks and offices, i The change-over from peace to wari economy on such an unprecedented l scale within 18 months was a task reflecting great credit on the administrators and people generally. “After paying tribute to Britain’s,

new army and workers, Mr. Fraser added: “The land, sea and air defences 1 have seen are only a very small part of the national defences, but. they impressed me very much, as did the Home Guard and other war services. I am certain any attempted invasion xvill be overwhelmed and crushed. 1 nowhere, however, saxv signs of complacency or foolish selfdeception. There is confidence everywhere. I xvill carry home xvith me pictures of a nation organised in every way for victory,”—B.O.W.

EXPECTED HOME AT FND OF MONTH N.Z. PRIME MINISTER Wellington, Aug. 13. The Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, is expected to return to New Zealand by the first week of September. After a tour of Scotland Mr. Fraser is at present in London, and the acting-Prime Minister, Hon. W. Nash, said last night that on advice received from him he expected the Prime Minister to be back in the Dominion al the end of this month or al latest in the first week in September.

Mr. Fraser, in a message to Mr. Nash, referred particularly to the very favourable response by the people of Great Britain to descriptions of New Zealand’s war effort and the part played by the Dominions troops in Greece and Crete. Mr. Fraser had been asked by the Ministry of Information to make a trip through some of the devastated areas of England and also parts of Scotland. In Parliamentary circles it is considered < tain that the House ol Representatives will si ill be in session when the Prime Minister returns, there being a good deal of business on the order paper, with more coming. Mr. Nash has intimated that any announcement about a general election or other developments in the political situation will be made from the floor of the House. It is expected that when something definite is said the statement will be made by the Prime Minister after consultation with Mr. Nash and the Labour Par.} caucus.