NOT ALONE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 225, 21 September 1940, Page 7

NOT ALONE.

DOMINION'S DEFENCE. |"SHOULDER TO SHOULDER." XAPJKK, Friday. "• We knmv we shall not 1)0 left alone to withstand an attack if it comes to us here; whatever the. difficulties, the countries of the British Empire will stand shoulder to shoulder," said the Prime Minister, the lit. Hon. P. Eraser, when speaking in Napier. Mr. Eraser said the. rightness of conscription to defend the country and its people could not be questioned. New Zealand now

[had its Home Guard, which could playj |an important part, women's organ it-a j t ions and territorial*. Every citizen who realised the importance of the-J-trugglc could now find come place to; ]do his share. j The Prime Minister hoped the con-j flict would not extend to these shore.-, but N'e.w Zealand must lie ready in case] it should. "We are modest, and oftenj ask what can we, a small country with a small population, do," lie said. "Yet. as in social legislation New Zealand hahad an influence in the world out of all proportion to its size, so will it give an example with its war effort. whate.vei hapi>ens in the Pari lie. Every effort ibeing strained to make us prepared fori any eventuality." j It was never intended. Mr. Era-e.i said, that the Second Eehelon should go to England, but the uncertainty and dangers at that time of the possible entry of Italy into the war caused the in to be diverted to Britain.