OUR “GREAT PERIL”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 June 1938, Page 7

OUR “GREAT PERIL”

AS PICTURED BY LORD ROTHERMERE

NEW ZEALAND AS BAIT FOR JAPAN. “DEMOCRACY CANNOT ARM ITSELF.” By Telegraph —Press Association Copyright. LONDON, June 13. "New Zealand will be one of the most vulnerable countries in the world when Japan has beaten China. In the next 10 years the Dominion may find itself in a position of the greatest peril.” This warning is given by Lord Rothermere in an article in the "Daily Mail,” strengthened by a map. Three routes from Japan to New Zealand are shown, directly westward past New Guinea, southerly to Singapore by sea. and via Sydney by air. Also indicated on the map is the United States naval station on the Island of Guam. “New Zealand,” Lord Rothermere adds, “is a very tempting bait as both the area and climate are very suitable for Japanese settlement ,on a large scale. The Dominion may in 1939 spend 21- per cent of her national revenue on defence, while Britain’s expenditure in that direction.will be 40 per cent of her revenue.” New Zealand, therefore, asserts Lord Rothermere, supports the argument that a parliamentary democracy cannot arm itself. This, he states, is a terrible conclusion, because, even if it is only partly true, it means that parliamentary democratic countries have no future.

POSITION & OUTLOOK. MR SAVAGE’S SCORNFUL REJOINDER. In a speech yesterday at Pukerua Bay, the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, recounted how he had been rung up by a representative of an Australian paper for a reply to articles written in that paper by Lord, Rothermere condemning New Zealand’s defence policy and declaring that it was clear proof that democracy could not provide its own defence.

“I said that New Zealand’s defence was in a better position today than it ever has been,” said Mr Savage, "and we arc going on to do still more.- If Lord Rothermere would mind his own business and allow us to mind ours he will be doing a service to himself, New Zealand, and Britain.”