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Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 October 1939, Page 11

Preparations made since last September to meet the situation in which Britain now found herself were not made by the Government alone, but by the willing and unsought co-operation of the mass of the people said Mr Samuel Barry, addressing members of the Auckland Creditmen's Club. When it became apparent that, the appeal of Mr Chamberlain' to Herr Hitler had been unavailing. Mr Barry said, a marked change came over the people. They realised that the nation was not ready. They realised there was much that they could do; and it did not need the feverish example of the Government to sot thousands of individuals to work. Small groups discussed the way they could help, and by the time the A.R.P. became a perfected organisation, there were volunteers ready to add the human element to the machine. Mr Barry gave another example. He had been informed by business men that they had all their plant and machinery duplicated in cellars at a level low enough to be safe. They were bombproof as well as gas proof. All office records and files had been duplicated. That, said Mr Barry, was an instance of the calm, methodical way in which the people had gone about their share in a great national task.