OUTLOOK GRAVE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 December 1941, Page 2

OUTLOOK GRAVE

NEW ZEALAND’S NEED OF BEING PREPARED

MOST THREATENING MOMENT IN ITS HISTORY. MINISTER CALLS FOR UNITED EFFORT. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, December 26. “The storm may pass us by, but at the moment, to be frank, it looks as if the storm will not pass us by and as if we shall be in it,” said the Minister of Supply, Mr Sullivan, speaking at the opening of the New Brighton gala today. “I am with you today in the gravest circumstances and in the most threatening moment of all our history in New Zealand.” Mr Sullivan said that as a member of the Government and of the War Cabinet he felt he should speak with frankness. He appealed for the fullest co-operation, with the authorities in any emergency which might occur. “Our situation is grave,” he said. “Very grave indeed for our country, and we do not know when the blow will fall. We have got to be prepared for anything that may come. Whatever sacrifices we have got to make we must make as cheerfully as possible, knowing that they are absolutely necessary, whether as regards holidays, petrol, a truck for the army or intensification of work. Each one of these things is essential to give our country a fighting chance to defend itself if the enemy decides to come here.” Everything possible had been done to enable New Zealand to defend itself. There had been great difficulties, since the Dominion was a small country unable to produce many of the things essential for defence and it had been difficult to obtain them from abroad, but much had been obtained and much had been done.

“But' even so,” said Mr Sullivan, “because of our isolation and because we have not been able to develop big heavy industries we have not got to the same extent those things necessary to a modern army that we 1 would have if we had more of the resources of a modern nation.” Yet the best possible preparations had been made and as far as possible New Zealand stood ready to do all that could be done. Whatever might be in store for them he felt confident that New Zealand people would show the same qualities of courage, self-sacrifice and lack of panic as had been shown by the people of the United Kingdom. “I hope that a year from now peace and victory will have come and that the great battle for the freedom of the world may have been fought for the last time,” said Mr Sullivan. “But we have dark days to go through before then.”