AUSTRALIA DAY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 21, 27 January 1943, Page 3

AUSTRALIA DAY

NEW ZEALAND TRIBUTE MR. FRASER EXPRESSES ADMIRATION (P.A.) Wellington. Jan. 26. “Never did Australia and 'New Zealand realise their kinship and oneness as they do to-day,” said the Primp Minister, the Hon. P. Fraser, at the Australia Day luncheon of the Wellington A.I.F. Association to-day. Mr. Fraser paid a high tribute to Australia's war effort, both on the world’s battlefields and in the field o£ war production, and referred appreciatively to the co-operation between Australia and New Zealand in the field of supply. He said that it was a great privilege to take part in celebration of the day on which a great nation was born, a nation ' destined to be one of the greatest on earth. General MacArthur, oesldes being « great general and tactician, had the great taste to select the same day for his birthday, and he and Australia would be celebrating not only their birthdays but a great victory for Australia and for the whole Allied cause.

“We are not alone in the Pacific,” said Mr. Fraser. “In addition to the great help given by Great Britain, we have the help also of that great nation of 130,000,000 people in the United States. The battle we are jointly lighting will only end when the tyrannay of Japan and the tyranny Japan represents are ended for all time. I look forward to Japan being rolled up just as Rommel is being rolled up. and to the day when the flags of Australia and New Zealand, with the flags of all other nations, will fly over Tokio, not as symbols of might but of freedom for all nations. These tyrants must be taught that tyranny cannot succeed against free peoples. Afler paying a tribute to the deeds of Australia in the last war Mr. Frasei expressed his admiration for the work of the Australian forces in this war. “If Britain had her greatest hour at Dunkirk,” he said, “Australia had hers when she accepted the loss of her forces in Malaya. The men who are in the hills and valleys of Timor, still carrying on guerrilla warfare, arc maintaining the A.I.F. traditions.”

One thing which impressed hint during his vist to Australia was th: Mr. Curtin and General MacArthur : separate meetings which he had wi • them, had each expressed the utmo; confidence in the other. The following message was receive from Mr. J. Curtin: “I convey to a. members of the A.I.F. Association L. New Zealand most cordial gooc. wishes from their fellow Australians. The day we celebrate is truly a day of great significance, because the future celebrations of it depend on our ability to hold off the aggressor. The tradition which your members established in the first A.I.F. in giving to the world, along with their New Zealand fighting comrades, the word ‘Anzac,’ is undying. Every good wish to you from the Government and people of Australia.” The following message has been sent by the Prime Minister to Mr. Curtin: “On the occasion of Australia Day, I wish, on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand, to extend sincere congratulations and an expression of whole-hearted appreciation of the splendid contribution the Australian people are making towards the success of the democratic cause. We in New Zealand have watched with admiration the valiant and determined efforts of your armed forces in New Guinea, the Middle East, and other theatres of war on land and sea and’in the air. I gladly take the opportunity to thank you and your people for the fine assistance given us in our war effort in many directions by the Commonwealth, and to express our gratitude for the great measure of cooperation and reciprocal support established between our countries in the common cause. We are proud indeed to march with our Australian comrades towards the final victory which will give freedom and security, nationally and individually, not only to our own peoples but to all nations of the earth.”

BUILDING OF EMPIRE CENTURY AND A-HALF IN AUSTRALIA The following statement has been received from the Acting Australian Trade Commissioner, Mr. J. L. Menzies, in connection with the anniversary of Australia Day to-day:— It is interesting to record that in connection with the early discovery of Australia, a French writer, long before the commencement of British colonisation, said of Australia that it was becoming a powerful Empire. This remark may not have been literally true at that time, but it is true to-day. In the course of its 150 years of settlement, Australia has made rapid progress. It is a far cry from the days of the mining towns and a few scattered sheep runs to the Australia of to-day. Australia is not only engaged in almost all’forms of agriculture, but has established thriving and efficient secondary industries based on a modern and up-to-date iron and steel industry. We can look back with pride on 150 years of notable achievements. We look forward to an even greater future when nations will cease to be at war. But we ihink also of the part which Australia is playing in world affairs to-day. and especially of her sons who are fighting side by side with the representatives of the Allied Nations in the great battle for freedom, and their efforts will not be relaxed until victory is achieved. Australian servicemen in all parts of the world salute their Now Zealand comrades in arms. We—Australians and New Zealanders—are hred from the same stock: we have the same aspirations; we have no territorial ambitions; we are both imbued with a strong love of country. Let us march forward, together, not only as blood brothers, but as kinsfolk in the truest sense of the term. “DOING THEIR BIT” AUSTRALIANS AND WAR EFFORT (P.A.) Christchurch, Jan 26. “Australia is making a good war effort. More noise is heard about the few who are not living up to the war effort than of the rest who are doing their bit,” said Sir George Davis t o’sir George Davis is over from Australia on a business trip and is al present at Christchurch. His main interest is in naval building and repairs as chairman of the Cockatoo Docks and Engineering Company. Many re-cently-built Australian ships have come from this company, which is concerned in building sloops, corvettes and destroyers. The sloops are named after Australian rivers, the corvettes after towns and the destroyers after I native tribes. The recently lost Armidale was one I of his company’s ships, and the Aranta and Wanamunga, both now doing I

good work, were others, said Sir George. The company builds ships, turbines, boilers and engines, and finds all equipment except armaments. The first Australian cargo ship, the River Clarence, was recently launched by Mrs. Curtin, wife of the Prime Minister, he said. One of the corvettes built at Cockatoo took part in a spectacular engagement in the Indian Ocean. It was attacked by two raiders while escorting a tanker and signalled to the tanker to move off while it opened lire. The corvette succeeded in sinking one of the raiders and the tanker returned and chased the other one off.