FRIENDLY GREETING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 October 1940, Page 8

FRIENDLY GREETING

FROM BRITISH MINISTER OF MINES. VISIT TO NEW ZEALAND RECALLED. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON. October 16. Broadcasting to New Zealand, the Minister of Mines, Mr Grenfell, recalled his recent visit to the Dominion, and said he had left with the warmest appreciation of the country and its people, and mentioned his friendly contact with New Zealanders from the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, and his colleagues, to those he met everywhere. Mr Grenfell said he had seen the splendid sons of New Zealand in England. and he wanted to tell the people cf the Dominion something about the course of events and the attacks on the Englishman's island home. He went into Parliament with the aim of helping to build a better Britain. and knew that England would have to co-operate on the widest scale with other nations, Mr Grenfell said. But the Nazi regime had other plans, and the German people had been told to rely on war instead of peaceful negotiations. Now Britain stood alone in Western Europe to prevent Nazism from extending its brutal powers.. The workers now had nothing to gain and all to lose unless the dictators were defeated. Speaking of the mining industry, Mr Grenfell said it was carrying on with determination to play its full part in victory. Output had been maintained, and three-quarters of a million men were at work. Britain, in proportion to its population, was the heaviest consumer cf coal in the world. Coal was the foundation of its strength, and its population was busily engaged in industries of all kinds that depended on coal. The country also managed to send large quantities abroad. Mr Grenfell said bombing raids had not caused any loss of life at the pits. The mining communities were well organised, and the home guard in mining areas was fully manned and equipped. The pits were kept at work even when enemy planes had been reported by the general warning. Work was controlled by observers appointed by the men and the management at each pit. The calmness and orderliness of the civilian population in danger was commented on by Mr Grenfell, who said there were occasional words of anger, but the bombing had hardened the feeling of resentment against Hitler and his system. Speaking of the tremendous desire to alleviate loss caused to individuals, he said community spirit had been quickened. “We are passing through a severe test,” said Mr Grenfell. “The war will come to an end. We shall win and the dictators will be discredited and destroyed, and ordinary men and women will come into their own as never before. We have offered ourselves freely to stop the rush backward to barbarism.”