AT THE CROSSROADS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 June 1941, Page 5

AT THE CROSSROADS

? MR SEMPLE ON OUTLOOK FOR DEMOCRACY. CIVILISATION IN MELTING POT. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) SYDNEY. June 19. The New Zealand Minister of Labour, Mr Semple, was today the guest of the Millions Club at a luncheon. He delivered an address on the Dominion’s war effort in which he declared that democracy was at < the crossroads and civilisation in the melting pot. Every man, Mr Semple said, must put forward every ounce of strength and every copper he possessed. He emphasised that liberty, the spice of life, was in jeopardy but the Divine Master soon would check the kind of conduct that was going on over England which had resulted in the mass murder of women and children. He thanked God for President Roosevelt, and he appealed to Australians to make a vow that they would die on their sun-kissed hills before they would surrender to the German monster of iniquity. There were only two roads —the one Hitler was travelling, and the other which all freedom-living people were travelling. He would rather go down to the dreamless dust than submit to a tyranny of any kind. Mr Semple paid a tribute to the help Australia is giving New Zealand. He said he would return satisfied that the spirit and soul of the people were sound and also convinced that the development of the war industries here was phenomenal and wonderful.