PEACE OR WAR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 November 1941, Page 5

PEACE OR WAR

GREAT ISSUES RAISED IN PACIFIC SPEECHES IN WELLINGTON YESTERDAY. VISITING BRITISH MINISTER ENTERTAINED. (Bv Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. “The world of the Pacific is going to play a far more important part in the future than it has in the past,” said Mr Duff Cooper, British Minister to the Far East, when replying to the welcome accorded him at a luncheon given by the Government at Parliament House yesterday in his honour. The luncheon was attended by Ministers of the Crown, members of the House of Representatives and the Legislative Department, heads of.. State departments and the armed forces, and representatives of the industrial commercial and professional community. In welcoming the guest of honour, the Prime Minister said in part: “Wein New Zealand accept in its entirety the declaration of the Atlantic, which stands for freedom for all nations and access to the raw materials of the world for all nations.

“But before that can be brought about all nations must agree to play the game, and the game is the democratic game and no other. There must be a dignified and creditable understanding on the basis of freedom for all the nations concerned. Mr Duff Cooper comes here at a critical time when the outcome may be for good or evil, for peace or war in the Pacific. “We profoundly hope and pray it will be for peace, but however the die is cast one thing is certain: there will be no sacrifice of any nation, no sacrifice of principle, wherever the battle is joined. Just as they do in Russia, we all believe that it is bettei to go down, if need be, in honour than to live in dishonour and betray mankind. The goodwill, the concern, the comradeship and the strength of the United Kingdom will be devoted to uplifting mankind, but it will be used in full force to the last ounce of energy and to the last drop of blood in standing against embattled tyranny, from whatever source it may come.” A YEAR OF VICTORY. In replying, Mr Duff Cooper said he had seen enough of this country to satisfy him that its people were 100 per cent in the war. This past year, he went on to observe, had been on the whole a year of victory after the unforeseen disasters of the first year of the war. First of all there was the daylight German air onslaught to prepare the way for invasion. The R.A.F. had so defeated the enemy that for more than 12 months the Germans had not attempted to attack the country by day. Then came the night attacks designed to break the spirit of the English people. Now it seemed they had been at least temporarily abandoned. They had failed because they had only instilled in the minds of the people a greater determination to win. The armies of the “warlike” Italians in North Africa and Abyssinia had been wiped out —an enormous victory, as since then Italy had played no part in the war. Then in the German submarine war Britain had passed through dark and dangerous days. He would not say that the menace had passed away, but for this year it had been defeated and the sinkings by Üboats were today comparatively trivial to what they used to be. That was a tremendous victory, perhaps less spectacular, but none the less more important than the sinking of the battleship Bismarck.

Mr Duff Cooper said that in the ■summer of last year Great Britain stood alone without a single great Power co-operating with her. There had been seven great Powers on whom the future of the world depended, but today there were only five. France had ceased to be a great Power, he hoped temporarily, and Italy also. Russia was then on good terms with Germany, but she had now become Germany’s most relentless enemy. The United States of America, where ayear ago Britain possessed certain sympathies but little hope of active cooperation, was now playing an increasingly important part every day. Therefore there were three of the great Powers ranged on one side, one was against them, and one was still wavering. That last great Power was a Pacific Power, morely closely concerned than any other perhaps with the future of Australia and New Zealand.

The world of the Pacific was going to play a far more important part in the future than it had in the past. He could see in the future the Pacific looming larger on the horizon, and he hoped that the small British nations of the Pacific would pay a great part in the future.

Mr Duff Cooper said he had spoken of the favourable elements in the situation. There were still terrible dangers before them. They had warded off defeat, but they were a long way from the sight of victory. There was still in Europe the most efficient fighting machine the world had ever seen, and the strength of Germany had not been diminished but increased by the conquests made. No day should be wasted and no effort should .be spared that would make the end of their tribulations come nearer.