Wairarapa Times-Age FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 1942. A TIME FOR ACTION.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 January 1942, Page 2

Wairarapa Times-Age FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 1942. A TIME FOR ACTION.

gOME of the later developments in the Pacific war zone give added point to what the Governor-General (Sir Cyril Newall) and the Prime Minister and. other political leaders have had to say, in New Year messages, about the necessity that all New Zealanders should get together to work and if need be to fight. At a lime when a great, proud and powerful nation like the United States is under the necessity of conceding territory to the enemy for the time being—at the moment of writing much of the principal Philippine island of Luzon is in the hands of the Japanese and Manila is closely menaced—there cannot be any doubt that New Zealand is threatened and that all energies must be concentrated on preparations to repel attack if it comes.

There is and has been not the slightest reason to doubt'that in due lime Japan, together with her Axis partners, will be defeated finally and decisively, but we are concerned at present not with that ultimate prospect, but with the period, of entirely uncertain duration, which must elapse before the forces of the Allies can be ranged with full effect against Japan, ft is obvious that we might easily have cause to regret very bitterly any neglect or failure to provide in that period for our own defence.

This view of the matter, it may be supposed, is now universal. That being so there should be no necessity for any further appeals in general terms to the people of the Dominion to recognise the danger by which they are faced and to do their duty. What is demanded of the Government in these days of acute emergency is direct and purposeful leadership. Every available weapon must be placed in dependable hands and all sections of the community must be so ordered and organised that maximum support may be given to our armed forces on whatever fighting fronts develop. Nothing that can be ordered to that end, whatever its effect on the civilian community, should be delaved for a moment.

There need be no fear that the people of New Zealand will not rise to the occasion. It has become a truism that democratic countries inevitably are at an initial disadvantage in war with lawless dictatorships. It lias been demonstrated sufficiently, however —nowhere more conclusively than in Great Britain—that a democratic nation is capable of rallying splendidly in an actual emergency of conflict or of threatened conflict. With the heroic constancy of the people of the Motherland and the valour of our own fighting forces wherever they have been engaged set before us as examples it need not be doubted that the people of New Zealand will combine resolutely to do everything in their power to help in beating off attack if and when it comes. This, as has been said, is not a time for appeals in general terms. It is a time in which our national leaders are expected by all that is best and most alert in our democratic community to exercise dictatorial powers and to do it peremptorily and without hesitation. "We are told that much has already been done to put the Dominion into a state of defence. Whatever can be done further to that end should be ordered forthwith. There need be no fears or doubt about the response. Our leaders should be afraid only of neglecting any aspect or phase of national preparation.