SPIRIT OF BRITAIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 March 1943, Page 2

SPIRIT OF BRITAIN

DISTRICT ROTARY GOVERNOR VISITS MASTERTON ADDRESS AT TODAY’S LUNCHEON, MEANING OF DEMOCRACY. “The Spirit of Britain” was the subject of an arresting address given at today’s luncheon of the Masterton Rotary Club by Mr F. HallJones, of Invercargill, District Governor of Rotary. After the Napoleonic war Britain emerged supreme and unchallenged, said Mr Hall-Jones. For a century her navy and mercantile marine dominated the seas. With absolute power to exploit the world, to victimise small nations, to usurp their colonies withcut opposition—how did she exercise 1 that power? They had seen in Europe what Germany had done. But Britain had set herself to champion the Under the sway of the British Navy the Atlantic kept the warring powers of Europe remote from the United States; but for the British Navy the ocean would have brought the aggressors to America’s shore. With one stroke Britain had wiped out the slave trade. At a cost of £20,000,000 she had liberated every slave on British soil. Today, millions of slaves under the Swastika prayed for a similar deliverance. Britain championed the course of freedom not only for herself but for humanity. Britain’s Dominions were not dragged in chains to the altar of exploitation as Holland and Norway were but hatj-been set up,as autonomous nations. Britain had given the world the ideal of freedom, not only for herself but for all peoples. Intolerance, brutality, victimisation and exploitation could not flourish under the. Union Jack. Nothing else could survive under the Swastika. Of the 29 nations now in the war, Britain alone came in before she was hit, voluntarily, and in pursuance of her pledged word and her moral and spiritual duty to humanity. ROTARY’S ROLE. Mr HalLJones said he associated with Britain to the fullest and highest degree that mighty nation across the Atlantic, the United States of America. It was through Rotary alone that the business and professional men in America took an interest in European policy. Rotarians throughout America in nearly 4000 communities and throughout South America in nearly 500 communities became 100 per cent advocates of Britain. In New Zealand, Rotary commenced ten years ago to warn the public of the menacing clouds on the horizon. The American spirit was today the British spirit and the two English-speaking peoples were so intermingled that he believed that neither peace nor post-war difficulties would ever pull them apart. In the integrating world the need of Britain and America for each other was mutual. Stating that the United States was an industrial phenomenon that the astronomical figures of /American production were no gasconade—they were being implemented—Mr Hall-Jones said the bombing of Tokio, the battle of Midway and the Coral Sea and the Battle of the Solomons, were only a token payment for what Japan was going to receive, when America was ready. PRINCIPLES OF EXISTENCE. Speaking of democracy, he said, that it was one of the basic principles of their existence that men differed in their opinions. Under one system the opinions of the dictator were improved by force on all. Under democracy the opinions of the .majority were freely accepted by all, without rebellion by the minority and without oppression by the majority. Their first thought after the war must be for the security of their democracy in the future. “In asking you to focus your loyalty on Britain I am not overlooking the war effort and war spirit of our Dominion,” said Mr Hall-Jones. “There are certain aspects of which we have every reason to be proud. The record of our fighting forces in Greece, Crete and Libya, whether in victory or disaster, is something to view with real pride. Our casualties are higher in proportion to our population than those of any other Dominion, though not so high as Britain. Then again, in no public utterance does our Government voice any carping criticism of Britain, as other governments have done. We would do well as individuals to follow this worthy example of our Government.” The right of criticism was inherent in democracy but it should be criticism of themselves and not of others. CONFIDENCE IN OUTCOME. “I believe with all my heart and soul that the spirit of Britain and AngloSaxondom is the only power that can hold down and conquer the perversion and brutality of the aggressor states,” said Mr Hall-Jones. “I believe with all my heart and soul that the spirit of Britain and Anglo-Saxondom, backed by the material resources, the manpower and womanpower, ttyr- ' , workmanship and organisation and the fighting qualities of our race, backed also by the valour and resources of Russia and China, will in spite of past and future reverses, no matter how long the road or how bloody the taskA emerge triumphant and victorious over ' the horrible cult of blood-and-iron, and the massacre of civilians, and the sublimation of war and the trappings of war, cruel, merciless and remorseless.” After referring to what Britain had achieved in war organisation and production and to the financial sacrifices of her people, Mr Hall-Jones said: “Our record against overwhelming odds has been magnificent; our spirit is superb; our morale has never been higher. All the British troops that the available troopships can carry, all the munitions that the available cargoships can carry, are being sent out of Britain. Even American ships have been borrowed for the purpose. Eighty per cent of the Empire’s casualties have been British casualties, and this in addition to the heavy civilian losses by bombing, and despite the vast achievement in war production. In the first, two years of the war, Britain lost 42,000 killed in the Army; the Dominions 4600. Britain’s proportion, nearly 90 per cent, was higher still in the Navy and Air Force. British seamen of the Navy and Mercantile Marine , have kept the Seven Seas, and braved the Stuka and the submarine.” Britain had borne the burden—43,ooo had been killed in air raids, nearly as many as in the fighting forces. Britain was a vast aerodrome from which retribution would be launched and Germany drenched in bombs.