“CARRYING ON”

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20129, 26 December 1939, Page 14

“CARRYING ON”

PEOPLE OF BRITAIN CALM DETERMINATION VICTORY OF DEMOCRACY MR. FRASER'S PICTURE (P«r Proas Aasoriatioi i WELLINGTON, this day. “I was very much impressed by the general attitude, outlook and even the demeanour and bearing of the British people in their hour of trial and danger,” the the Minister of Health and Education, the Hon. P. Fraser, who returned yesterday from a conference of United Kingdom and Dominion Ministers held in London recently. There were no evidences of fear or consternation least of all among the : residents of the areas which most frequently .suffered from air attacks, such as Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth area. There was no boastfulness or vindictiveness visible anywhere, and no glorification of war. The war had not been welcomed anywhere in Britain. As in New Zealand, it was deeply deplored, but many of the British people had expected for a long time that the British and French Governments would call a halt to Nazi aggresison in the interests of humanity at large, and were not taken completely by surprise when war was declared. Calm Determination The attitude of the people of the United Kingdom as a whole was one of calm, clear, courageous determination to carry on to the en d to the ultimate victory of democracy over dictatorships. Probably never had the British people reached such heights of moral and spiritual grandeur. Good-natured co-operation and tolerance generally prevalent in face of all the difficulties of black-outs, the evacuation of children, the projected rationing of food and the constant danger of air raids was really something to marvel it. “There are many trials, disadvantages, worries and'dangers at present in Great Britain but the British people are just bravely carrying on,” concluded Mr. Fraser.