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SAFETY OF THE STATE

PURPOSE OF EMERGENCY REGULATIONS EXPLAINED BY ACTING PRIME MINISTER. PUTTING DOWN SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day Reasons why the Government had considered it necessary to issue the Public Safety Emergency Regulations dealing with subversive statements, payments for subversive activities, and meetings and processions likely to be injurious to the public safety were slated by the DeputyPrime Minister, Mr Fraser, in an address last night.

He said that a few individuals, some of them sincere in their beliefs but Avrong in their methods, had shown at recent meetings a complete disregard for the rights, feelings, or even safety of the community at large, thus inducing .disorder and public danger. The Government had used the powers conferred on it by Parliament to put an end to the dangerous state of affairs which had been developing recently. Observing that the powers given to the police were strictly in accordance with the law of the land, Mr Fraser paid a tribute to the Commissioner of Police and to the officers and men of the force as a whole. LAWLESS DISORDER. In the course of a detailed explanation of the purpose and effect of the Emergency Regulations, Mr Fraser said: “The present regulations are, in the main, what the Government considers to be a necessary, and, unfortunately. in th,e light of recent events, an unavoidable extension of the Censorship and Publicity Emergency Regulations gazetted on September 1, 1930. Recently, as you know, a feAv individuals, some of them sincere in their beliefs but Avrong in their methods, at meetings, a number of Avhich were held in defiance of the local authorities, have shown complete disregard for the rights, feelings, or even safety of the community at large, thus inducing disorder and public danger. Others, claiming provocation from the speakers at the said meetings, have fomented and actually participated in lawless disorder. “That state of affairs cannot continue and will not continue. A Government must govern or abdicate. As the Government elected unmistakably by the people, to enforce the people’s will, has not the slightest intention of abdicating, it has decided, as indicated very definitely and ably by the Prime Minister and the Attorney-General in recent broadcast addresses, to use the powers conferred on it by Parliament to put an end to the dangerous state of affairs Avhich has been developing recently. To do otherwise would be to betray the people's trust which has been given to the Government so fully and so generously.” THE GREATEST DANGER. The greatest danger, Mr Fraser went on to state, arose “from the use made of some meetings by irresponsible or. Avorst still, evilly-intentioned and disposed persons, some of them openly the agents of at least one foreign Power, to utter and thrust upon the public statements that are deliberately calculated to injure New Zealand's war effort and to prejudically affect the recruiting and discipline of the Expeditionary Force. Such statements immediately constitute a danger to the peace and have proved'so because of the resentment they aroused.” A word of remonstrance, the DeputyPremier said, might be advisable "to a feAV persons of foreign nationality who have been extended a hospitable Avelcome to this country in recent years and the possibilities of a useful career here opened up to them and who appear to be abusing that hospitality by attacking NeAV Zealand's war policy, by almost belauding our enemies, and justifying aggression. FREEDOM OF SPEECH. Declaring that the Public Safety Regulations did not, and that their administration would not. constitute any menace to free speech, Mr Fraser continued:—

“New Zealand with the other nations of the British Commonwealth is fighting for freedom of speech, freedom of thought, for political and religious freedom, and it would indeed by a tragic paradox if as a result of the struggle freedom was sacrificed, but freedom to incite, damage, and do injury to New Zealand and New Zealand's war effort is not freedom of speech; freedom to sabotage this country by deliberately disseminating, false statements is not freedom of thought: endeavouring to prevent men enlisting is not political freedom. Placing the interests of foreign powers before those of our own country is not freedom but a gross abuse of freedom.” Mr Fraser referred briefly to falsehood in propaganda against Finland by those constituting themselves agents of Russia for the purpose of unscrupulously justifying the latteifs aggression, and he pointed out that, contrary to the falsehoods, Finland was a progressive and democratic country. The Minister concluded by a reference to the reception given to the officers and men of the Achilles in Auckland on Friday, as well as to the men of the Second Echelon of the Expeditionary Force and the Air Force, as proof of the feelings, sentiments anc opinions of the people of the Dominion. Ninety-nine per cent and more of the people were solidly with the Government in its attitude on the war. and its decisions in regard to New Zealand’s help in the struggle.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WAITA19400226.2.41

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 February 1940, Page 5

Word count
Tapeke kupu
829

SAFETY OF THE STATE Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 February 1940, Page 5

SAFETY OF THE STATE Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 February 1940, Page 5

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