NEW ZEALAND’S WAR EFFORT.

Evening Star, Issue 24327, 16 October 1942, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND’S WAR EFFORT.

TO THE EDITOR Sir, —A few days ago there appeared in your paper a report of an address given by a Minister of the Crown to the effect that New Zealand was never in greater danger than now. On the same day, in another part of the paper, there appeared an intimation from another Minister of the Crown stating that all men connected with the mining industry were exempt from service with the Home Guard. The public are bewildered by such 'conflicting statements. There is an old saying that the leaders can only take the people as far as they are prepared to go, and unless the leaders take the people fully into their confidence the limit is about reached. Will the Government tell us whether New Zealand to-day has more men in uniform in proportion to her population than any other country in the world, including the Axis nations? Is it really necessary to call up so many women for army service? Is it the Government's intention to take married women from their homes and place them in mental hospitals, sanatoriums, factories, etc.? If so, why? There are many other questions which the public are entitled to have answered, but the above are some that occur to me at the moment. There is a growing belief that too much is being done to create an illusion of a great war effort, and that behind the illusion is waste, inefficiency, and incompetence. This belief may be erroneous, but unless the public are told more they are forced to hold it. Why all the mystery and “ hush-hush ”j > Thousands “of loyal men and women in New Zealand will heartily endorse the remarks of “ Loyalty ” in his letter to you published in Friday's issue. This letter is not written from a political point of view, as I am not interested in politics, but it is lime the Government in power realised the public are getting very tired of tho way they are being treated. —I am. etc., Old Soldier. October 13.