Dear Sir

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 81, 31 May 1946, Page 4

Dear Sir

EX-SERVICEMEN’S AFFAIRS Sir, —In reply to your article inMonday’s issue, may I draw .your attention and the writer’s to the Official Organ of the 2nd N.Z.E.F. Association (Incorp.) the “Kiwi” not the “Dominion.” Any effort at sabotage in this district is futile! Mr Thwaites did not approach the N.Z.R.S.A. for affiliation but amalgamation, not. only of the 2nd N.Z.E.F. but all fighting services. Affiliation and amalgamation are two distinct words altogether. Amalgamation on sound constitutional principles to meet the need of the man and woman of this war. Any sane person will agree that amalgamation must be based on sound principles. A comedy of errors from the past would not justify the present situation. The wasting of regeneration the scripture says. The effort of sabotage in Monday’s paper would not kill the efforts of the true democratic nfembers of this Association—Six in 1945, up to March 1946, and at present nearly a hundred composed of men recently returned and last year’s members of local and other district R.S.A. members. Right always prevails so watch out this year for the thousand mark. Bay of Plenty branches of the Eastern-Western Zones take note! Here is a cutting from the Kiwi to show what we are doing for the servicemen and women of this war. They have to thank the 2nd N.Z.E.F. for the gratuity and watch out for further progress. Yours etc., PETA R. WAIRUA, District Rep. Dominion Executive. (We have apparently hurt our correspondent’s feelings by publishing an article in Monday’s issue which was sent to all newspapers in order to elucidate the position of the two bodies now engaged in wooing the ex-soldiers 'from this war. We have had recourse to the article again and still fail to see how we have infringed in any way. No paper wishes the ex-servicemen well, more than this paper and it is distressing to see the R.S.A. and the 2nd N.Z.E.F. apparently at bitter loggerheads over what are in reality mere technical difficulties. Ed.) Ed.)