ITALY’S CAPITULATION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 September 1943, Page 3

ITALY’S CAPITULATION

PARADES NOW OFF STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. “The national celebration proposed for Saturday next of the capitulation of Italy will not now be held,” said the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, in a statement in Invercargill last night. _ “The National Committee, representative of all sections of the community, set up to consider the proposal, has reported to me from Wellington, in the light of replies received to my telegrams to all local authorities throughout New Zealand, that already in a number of large centres 'of population ■ the capitulation had been celebrated with great enthusiasm and that it was not possible to recreate that same spontaneity. “It has therefore become apparent,” said Mr Fraser, “that only in those districts where celebrations have not already been held would it be practicable to have parades to symbolise New Zealand’s total war effort. Obviously nothing but a completely national scale of celebrations would be appropriate, and it has therefore been decided not to proceed with the proposal. “It has, however, been most gratifying to learn from the evidence received of the desire of the people generally to take part in a completely national celebration, and I am also grateful to the representatives of employers, manufacturers, farmers, labour organisations and Government departments for the great amount of constructive thought and hard work put in at such short notice to make the proposed parades truly symbolic of the whole of New Zealand's war effort. The foundation has been laid for celebration at very short notice on the next appropriate occasion, which we all trust will not be long in coming.”