OUR WAR EFFORT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 July 1942, Page 4

OUR WAR EFFORT

APPEAL TO WOMEN AND GIRLS TO PLAY STILL GREATER PART. TO RELEASE MEN (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. An appeal to the women and girls of New Zealand to play a still greater part in the country's war effort by enlisting in the armed forces if they were in a position to do so was made last night by Mrs P. Fraser, wife of the Prime Minister. The needs, she said, were urgent and pressing. Every woman undertaking work m essential industries assisted in releasing a man for the armed forces; every woman who joined the armed forces helped to release a man for active, mobile, service duties.

“I am proud of the women of New Zealand, too. It. is wonderful what our women and girls have gone already. There are 3700 in the Postal Department, the numbers in the factorics have very nearly doubled, and many of these are volunteers who have left the shelter of their homes to give service. The range of new occupations undertaken by women of New Zealand would take hours to tell. . . . But there is more to do. A CHANGED POSITION. “The position has changed seriously,” said Mrs Fraser. “We are living under the threat of invasion, and of air raids. We have to stand ready; we have to keep our preparations at a constant high pitch of readiness. Our preparedness has to be maintained, steadfastly, month after month. “For instance, we have quantities of anti-aircraft equipment. Behind this equipment are the range-finders and predictors, and a host of elaborate appliances of a highly delicate charactei. Behind them are the searchlights. We cannot afford, in these times, to keep thousands of trained soldiers, many of them fit for the mobile field forces, standing about at these static defences. We must keep our field armies up to strength, and, as well, prevent our having to draw more heavily on men who work at vital war production. “The Air Force has already large numbers of women in the service; many more are required. The Army has made a small beginning; just lately the Navy established the Women’s Royal Naval Service, and the ‘Wrens,’ as they are called, are now being selected. For all three services, the demand is for cooks, waitresses, stewards, shorthand typistes, clerks, transport drivers, and such duties as runners, cleaners, and so on. But there are many specialised war time jobs —fabric workers, instrument repairers, and other occupations for the Air Force; telegraphists for the Navy; signallers and anti-aircraft personnel for the Army.” WOMANPOWER EFFICIENT. Mrs Fraser said she knew it was rather a formidable list she had given, but it had been found that New Zealand women could tackle almost anything that a man could do, and do it well. In most cases, these were new jobs, hard jobs, but they were interesting. The women should not be frightened of the difficulties of learning new work, for they had a reputation for being bright and alert. Resource and ingenuity were not confined to the menfolk—womanpower had proved to be, in its chosen fields, just as efficient as manpower. Application for enrolment in the Armed Forces was open to all women between the ages of 18 and 45. However, women with special qualifications for particular jobs would be considered for enlistment, if they were over the age of 45. The district offices of the Women’s War Service Auxiliary were acting as recruiting depots, and uie application forms were available there. “I know the women' will play their part,” concluded Mrs Fraser. “The greatest good they can do is to give their personal services to release men for active service. In this world conflict it is total war—all the population of each country at war is engaged in the war'effort. I am sure that the women of New Zealand will meet this fresh demand for their help with the same splendid spirit of sei vice as be fore Wc will join hands with our menfolk, till this evil shadow passes from' our land, our homes, and our loved ones.”