TRULY UNITED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 26, 9 March 1942, Page 5

TRULY UNITED

AMERICA AT WAR MORALE AT HIGH LEVEL America's reaction to the Japanese aggression is strikingly indicated in letters received by a Wellington business man from prominent United States citizens.

One letter, written from Cincinnati on December 13 contains the following: "Things have been really happening this week, starting with Japan's treacherous attack on Pearl Harbour. At last we are in it and the sudden shock has done the nation a world of good. Just as in the past war all factionism and private quarrels have ceased in the course of an hour. It always amazes me to see how the United States goes along with different groups arguing back and forth, and the minute war comes the country becomes truly a United States. The newspapers have, of course, kept you posted as to what we arc doing nationally, and I am glad to sec we have knocked out a few Japanese warships by this time and have paid them in part for the Hawaiian attack. By the time wo have finished with them they will know what war really means.

•'The recruiting stations of ftll servicc branches are literally jammed with long queues in front of the entrances. The public morale is grand, and with it is a sudden admiration for the stand the English Commonwealtli has been making for two years. The war lias suddenly been brought home to the American people in no uncertain fashion. It has become something personal, and that makes a lot of difference." Another letter, written from Chicago on December i). makes this comment: "Aside 1 l'om the tragedy o' the initial attack on the Hawaiian Islands, we believe that the attack did serve the purpose of arousing and solidly unifying these United States'. Our history. I Ihink. bears evidence that when aroused and working in unity, these States can accomplish a great deal."