ALLIED LANDING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 September 1943, Page 3

ALLIED LANDING

BEGINNING OF CONQUEST FOR ITALY PRIME MINISTER’S COMMENT. GRAVE & GRIM TASK AHEAD. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) • TE KUITI, Setember 4. Five hundred citizens of Te Kuiti enthusiastically applauded an announcement by the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, at his meeting here last night, that news received of the Allied landing on the mainland of Italy. ‘lt is the beginning of the conquest and probably surrender of Italy,” Mr Fraser said, ‘but even if Italy gives out there is still a grave and grim task ahead of the United Nations. It will take some time to conquer Germany, and longer still to defeat Japan, though the Japanese forces are retreating in the South Pacific.” Reviewing the present war situation, Mr Fraser emphasised that Germany’s cities and great war industries were being increasingly devastated by the Allied air forces, and that Russia was rolling up the German armies. It was fitting, he said, that on the first day of the fifth year of this war tribute should be paid to New Zealand's armed forces for their valour and redoubtable fighting qualities in the battles on land, sea, and in the skies. No troops had covered themselves with greater glory than the Maori and pakeha boys of the Second N.Z.E.F., who had made the greatest contribution to the saving of Egypt. They met Rommel head on at El Alamein and compelled him to run from Libya to Tunisia, and finally out of North Africa.