INDEPENDENCE DAY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 July 1942, Page 3

INDEPENDENCE DAY

CELEBRATED IN UNITED STATES I FERVIDLY BUT WITHOUT FIREWORKS. STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) NEW YORK, July 4. Men and women on the American home front celebrated Independence Day ' with, mixed solemnity and fervour. The war weighed heavily on traditional merrymaking and holiday-making. Production needs kept hundreds of thousands of workers at the factories, and the customary fireworks displays were abandoned or curtailed in deference to the grim war time atmosphere. President Roosevelt, in an Independence Day statement, said: “For 16ti years July 4 has been a symbol to the people of our country of the democratic freedom which .the citizens claim as their precious birthright. On this grim anniversary its meaning has spread over the entire globe, focusing the attention of the world upon the modern freedom for which all the United Nations are now engaged in deadly war. On the desert sands of Africa, along the thousands of miles of battle-lines in Russia, in New Zealand, Australia and the islands of the Pacific, in war-torn China, all over the seven seas, free men are fighting desperately and dying to preserve the liberties and decencies of modern civilisation.

“We celebrate the anniversary this year not with the fireworks of makebelief, but with the death-dealing reality of tanks, planes, guns and ships. We celebrate it also by running uninterruptedly the assembly lines which turn out weapons for shipment to all the embattled points of the globe.” The Mayor of New York, Mr La Guardia, broadcast greetings from the city of New York to Australia and New Zealand: “At one time not so long ago, you were far, far away, but not so today,” he said. “You are very close to us, very near and dear to our hearts. We are inspired and encouraged by the fortitude, courage and determination displayed by the people of Australia, New Zealand and Britain. We refuse even to think of an Axis victory. The people of the United States refuse to live if Australia and New Zealand are dominated by the Japanese. That must not be. That won’t be. Cheerio, Australia and New Bealand. Thumbs up. We will get them.”

Messages of goodwill have been sent to President Roosevelt from many United Nations. King George of the Hellenes said that on this glorious national day of the United States he sent warm congratulations and sincere wishes for the welfare of the American people from the people of Greece’.'