CONFERENCE OPENED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 May 1943, Page 4

CONFERENCE OPENED

NEW ZEALAND R.S.A. ADDRESS BY SIR C. NEWALL. DUTY OF WINNING PEACE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The 27th annual conference of the New Zealand Returned Services Association was opened by the GovernorGeneral today. Sir C. Newall said the association was composed of citizens who understood the meaning of loyalty and discipline and knew what courage and endurance meant. The R.S.A. must exercise a stabilising and beneficial influence on the community. He said its good name depended as much on what was put into it as on what was taken out. He added that he would like to see more members taking a more active part in public life, not as an association but as individuals . It would be the end of the association if it became political. The same qualties as were needed to win the war were needed to win the peace. Sir C. Newall said he would like tcs think that every one of the men overseas would join the association on his return. He wished the association growth from strength to strength in attending to the interests of those who had helped the Empire and worthily done their duty for the Dominion.

The annual report stated that there was a further increase in membership —a total of 42.167 against 39,937 at the end of March. 1942. Included in the figure were 3,644 from the present war. Since the outbreak of hostilities the increase in membership was 10,618.