LINK WITH RUSSIA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 June 1941, Page 6

LINK WITH RUSSIA

AGAINST COMMON FOE EMPHASISED AT LONDON GATHERING. SPEECH BY NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTER. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day. Noon.) LONDON, June 25. A distinguished audience at the National Defence of Public Interest Committee's luncheon of welcome to the New Zealand Prime Minister (Mr P. Frqser) was greatly interested to see the Soviet Ambassador (M. Maisky) placed at the right hand of the chairman, Lord Nathan. This was Mr Fraser's first public function and also M. Maisky’s first appearance in public since the German invasion. There followed the unusual sight of a large gathering raising their glasses to Russia when Lord Nathan proposed the toast of the Soviet, and wished it success against Germany. Lord Nathan said: “It is right and proper to take this first' opportunity of conveying to the peoples of Russia our profound good wishes for the success of their armies in defence of their country against our common foe.” M. Maisky was loudly applauded when he rose to reply, but merely said: “I don’t intend to make a speech at this stage and shall merely express my sincere thanks for the toast and for the manner in which it was received.” In a speech, Mr Fraser largely repeated the statements he made in Cairo and after his arrival in Britain. He lengthily extolled the exploits of the British, Australian and New Zealand troops in Egypt, in Greece and Crete and again pledged New Zealand's full support in the war effort. He urged that the Empire’s efforts should not lapse after the war, but that its resources should be used to make a better world for heroes who deserved well of their .countries.

Referring to the invasion of Russia. Mr Fraser declared that the statement by Dr Goebbels, broadcast on June 22, was sinister from end to end and reeked of falsehood and nauseating hypocrisy. Those who were responsible for the persecution of innocent people, those who instituted concentration camps and drove the finest people from their shores, those who preached a doctrine of national and racial domination, those who endeavoured to convert this fair world into a wilderness —these were the people talking of a “new order.” There was also a faint echo from the East about a new order in the Pacific, but the new order would simply bring a new set of chains worse than any slavery in history. Hitler’s hopes of marching eastwards so that he could more quickly march westwards was a confession that Germany thus far had failed against Britain. “I emphasise the words ‘thus far,’ ” said Mr Fraser, “because nothing is more dangerous than false complacency.”

Speaking of. the Battle of Crete, Mr Fraser emphasised that never again would the British Imperial forces meet the Nazis with such an inequality in the air.