SIR PATRICK DUFF

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 20, 24 July 1945, Page 6

SIR PATRICK DUFF

ARRIVAL IN N.Z.

GREETINGS FROM BRITAIN

Sir Patrick Duff, successor to Sir Harry Batterbee as the High Commissioner for the United Kingdom in New Zealand, arrived in Wellington today to take lip his new post. Last year he relinquished the post of Deputy High Commissioner for the United Kingdom in Canada, an office he had held since 1941. Almost his first official function this morning was the holding of a Press .conference, at which he expressed his pleasure at arriving in the Dominion.

"I" bring you a greeting from Home and from all the folk there who have been carrying on, as Mr. Churchill has said, 'grave and gay,' through nearly six years of war," said Sir Patrick. "And they are carrying on still. Until the Japanese war is over, they, like you, cannot relax. They know that while the war continues there is always the possibility of some fearful new device or catastrophic accident, and that any relaxation at all may bring disastrous results. . "Some of you may wonder whether the experiences have changed the people of Britain. I am glad to assure you that they have not. The people of Britain are still the same. Their trials and adyersity have merely served to bring out their strong points. It is true that everyone is a bit tired, but you cannot be surprised at that. For many years the enemy was massed only 20 miles away over the Channel, and for long months and. years the drone of their aircraft was in the skies and bombs rained destructively on the homes of the people at night. Sir Patrick spoke of the continued strain on the people of having to work all day and to attend to A.R.P. duties at night. He recalled how in his own case in the winter of 1940----1941 he had to cover the gaping windows in his house • with cloth arid cook on an open fireplace. But compared with others he was fortunate. Crowds of "people lost their houses and all their possessions, and two out of every three houses in Britain had been damaged. One flying bomb or one rocket could at one fell swoop leave 700 families without a roof over their heads. INFINITE RELIEF. : "But that, thank goodness, is now over," said Sir' Patrick. "When I came away it was an infinite relief to feel that our land and homes lay undisturbed, and that the vacant skies have been cleared of the malignant devils, who gleefully and calculatmgly rained down death on our women and children. It was wonderful to think as we left the coast that all the tall ships and the busy freighters could once again proceed in peace on their lawful occasions and that people could sleep at night. " . ' "But until Japan is in the bag there is no time or labour to spare on anything short of essentials. Their experiences have not got the British people down. No one who visited Britain after an absence can fail to see with something of a shock the scars of war. Britain has suffered cruelly in countless ways, but she will not lack the resources to repair these and other hurts. In many ways she is much stronger than ever—real steel is none the worse for hammering. We have learned a renewed confidence in our own capacity, and the old resourcefulness has sprung to vigorous life again. Britain in resounding fashion has reaffirmed the manly and virile virtues which it was the habit between the wars of a small vocal intelligentsia to decry and disparage. In the universal sacrifices which almost every individual has had to make in some way or another the people of Britain have gone far on their way to find the truth, and 'he who loses his life shall find it.' The future has many toils and many trials, but believe me, it has no terrors for Britain. One of the reassuring signs is that everyone realises how heavy are the tasks ahead, but they know that they are equal to them. ■ , ' _ ~ . "So it is from a confident Britain that I bring you a message of confidence in New Zealand's future —a message of confidence in the benefits which the partnership of the British. Commonwealth and Empire can bring to mankind and a message of pride in your achievements." Sir Patrick paid a tribute to the work of Sir Harry Batterbee. whom he described as a fine example of the, public servant, and also expressed appreciation of New Zealand's goodness in. caring for British children who had been sent out here: POST-WAR IMMIGRATION. Questioned about post-war immigration, he remarked that there was a lot of work to be done at Home, and for a time at least they would want every pair of hands. If the New Zealand Government were to say that they wanted immigration—and that was the alpha and omega of the whole affair— and if there were a lot of these fine young boys and girls anxious to go to New Zealand, he was sure the British Government would not put any difficulties in their way. It was, however, a question of whether the New Zealand Government wanted these