THE OFFICIAL VIEW

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 230, 25 October 1940, Page 5

THE OFFICIAL VIEW

"WAR HAS BROKEN OUT" . NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE SATISFIED What humour there is in the stereotyped announcements of the New Zealand Gazette is invariably unconscious. An example of this is a notification appearing in the latest issue of the Gazette in which authority is conferred upon the Supreme Court of New Zealand to deal with prizes of war,. The proclamation begins: "Whereas by proclamation bearing date the twenty-third day of November, one thousand nine hundred and thirtynine, made in pursuance and exercise of the authority conferred by the Prize Courts Act, 1894 (Imp.), and to the intent that the jurisdiction' exercisable, it was proclaimed that war had broken out between His Majesty and Germany. "And, whereas by information received by me I am satisfied that war has broken out as hereinafter proclaimed: "Now, therefore . . It is apparent that the Gazette, which is not concerned with flippancies, is unlikely to appreciate the humour of "satisfying" His cellency that Avar has broken out with Germany after it has been in progress for over a year, and the Continent of Europe is scarred by sufficient evidence of the fact to do considerably more than "satisfy" anyone but a Gazette. The mills of officialdom, like the mills ol' God, unquestionably grind slowly. One fact, however, apparently emerges. Even official circles are now satisfied that war has broken out.