Felicitations From Friends Of America

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 238, 5 July 1944, Page 4

Felicitations From Friends Of America

“On this important date in American life the British-American Co-operation Movement and many other friends .of America in the Dominion extend to our great ally sincere felicitations, with the hope that July the Fourth next year will dawn on a happier state of world affairs.” said the president of the movement, Colonel C. H. Weston, K,C„ in a statement yesterday to mark Independence Day. “Force of circumstances decided 100 years ago that America should be an independent nation. One might almost say that destiny intended America to become a great nation and that America should play a notable part alongside Britain in the present war,” he said. In the v.ears which had intervened since July 4, 1776, he said, the United States had always stood for democratic rights and had always been the champion of liberty and freedom. It was therefore not strange that the United States and the British Commonwealth should be fighting side by side today, and that people in New Zealand should join with Americans in celebrating their great national day. Leading Empire statesmen had paid tribute to the share taken by the United States in the Second World War —to her ready assistance to Britain in the dark davs after Dunkirk, and to the courage and efficiency of her fighting men in the period since I’earl Harbour. “We in New Zealand have been proud and pleased to have tlie American fighting forces as our guests.” he said, “and from our knowledge of the recent history of the South Pacific we realize just how great is the debt of gratitude we owe them for Preventing a potential Japanese invasion of parts of New. Zealand.”

The fact that yesterday was the American Independence Day was mentioned at the Wellington Rotary Club's weekly luncheon by tlie president, Mr. Hone Gibbons, who said he considered it was an occasion when they should send fraternal greetings to their American friends through tlie mother club of Chicago, especially this year, when our Allies the Americans had been playing such a splendid part in the struggle for the liberation of the world. The response of members was unanimous.