The Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. FRIDAY, AUGUST 25th, 1939. THE APPROACHING SHADOW

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 54, 25 August 1939, Page 4

The Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. FRIDAY, AUGUST 25th, 1939. THE APPROACHING SHADOW

A thought cin the subject that is now common topicf. The European situation is one that calls for the most serious reflection and the world wide nervousness that it has created only serves to deepen the tragedy of humanity s unwilling progress towards the horrible shambles the sheer wickedness of which is terrible to imagine. The trial however must be faced and even in this small unit of Empire where the peaceful scenes; of primary production which surround us day after day, make it difficult to imagine the possibility of war, we are expected to accept the situation in the quiet determined' manner which is our traditional characteristic from far-off pioneering days. Our town and district constitutes but a tiny community in the vast body of Empire which makes up the British Commonwealth of Nations, nevertheless we are proud' to be able to say in the words of one who stood for an early Christian ideal that 'we are citizens of no mean country." In the face of the threat to the Empire, our own political and party differences fade into insignificance. We are called upon as never before to show a bold united front to the forces of aggression and t)he enemies of democracy}. Without: \exception New Zeaianders will dread the prospects of another war but in the fa,ce of it they can be depended upon to be steadfast, courageous and disciplined-—in fact this isLthe only method whereby the possibili ties of conflict may be averted. We are living in anxious times and the chances of a major catastrophe are daily before us. So much indeed have we heard of wars and 1 rumours of wars, that we have become ca&ehardened, in the vain belief that while others may waste their blood and' substance in the useless iand ghastly business masquerading under the title of modern warfare, we are immune by virtue of distance and isolation. There was never a bigger mistake or a more fatal fallacy. The transport by air, which was intended to knit the nations more closely together, to give understanding, has made long distance bombing a grim reality. The ships that were to trade and promote national goodwill have been armed and protected until to-day they are literally floating fortresses. The long distance guns of to-day bring all men, women and children into the firing line. Modern war does not respect the defenceless. The shadow overhanging us at this hour, may spell -the end of everything we hold dear, everything we have striven for, everything that we hold sacred. It is a Challenge to the spirit of the British nation, it is the test which will strain the character of Empire to the utmost. How will .we stand it? The four' great dictatorships of Europe 'and 5 tM- 'Orient "Save declared against us. America perhaps the g-reatest democracy in the world holds aloof. Britain and France with the assistance of One or two smaller nations, alone face the forces-which decree that right is subservient to might, and that the individual Is merely a unit held at the caprice of the state. , Our nation is definitely on trial and again, with the topic which is figuring so prominently in our local life, it is meet that we should remember our high traditions, our pride of race, our love of freedom, and behave like Britishers.