WORTHY EFFORT

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21357, 27 February 1941, Page 12

WORTHY EFFORT

NEW ZEALAND’S PART PROSECUTION OF WAR (By Telegraph.—Press Association) INVERCARGILL, Wednesday “As a member of the War Cabinet I say unhesitatingly that New Zealand’s war effort so far has been a worthy one. No one in his right senses expects 100 per cent perfection in the early stages, but I believe that the strength and will of the country is being brought behind our war work until before long we will be able to say that we come right up to the collar in pulling our maximum weight,” said the Hon. A. Hamilton, in a speech tonight. The War Cabinet, he continued, was the controlling body of New Zealand’s war effort and the scope of the work had become of extreme importance. Whether its constitution was satisfactory or not to the public mind remained to be seen. In the meantime it carried on and was functioning quite satisfactorily. Filling the Gap During the last war New Zealand sent about 100,000 men overseas, Mr Hamilton said. If the present war continued over the same number of years as the last war that number was likely to be exceeded. It must be remembered also that New Zealand was making great contributions in both air and sea forces, to say nothing of special units, such as forestry, railway and survey companies. All this undoubtedly was going to put a big strain on manpower. In the meantime home production must be kept up. “Those who are not in the fighting forces have to bridge the gap—women, old people, men unfit for military service, boys and girls,” Mr Hamilton continued. "That is the spirit that will pull us through.”