A MESSAGE OF CHEER

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21224, 21 September 1940, Page 13

A MESSAGE OF CHEER

[Here is a message which was sent by Barbara Hedworth to all the little girls of Great Britain, which Peter thought you, too. would like to read.] “ T AM going to start by telling you you about Joan. She is ten years old and I was simply amazed at the intelligent way she explained the ever-changing “war-map” of Europe. I was comparing my own knowledge of that other War in 1914-1813 when she shocked me by saying, her fist tightly clenched: “ I should like to be a man, then I could go to the front and kill a German.” I tried to explain to Joan as I am going to try to explain to all other little girls now how un-Chris-tian, how pointless it is to hate even the Enemy as a people. It is a cruel and brutal government we are fighting, not human beings (who actually deserve our pity more than they lo our hatred). “But what about Hitler himself?” questioned Joan. “ wouldn’t you want to kill him if ou had the chance? ” I replied I most certainly should, just as I should want to rid the world of, say, John Smith if he were a big bullying man whom I found beating children. “ Only I wouldn’t want to get rid of every man whose name happened to be Smith, just because he was called the same as the cruel bully.” For many of you, life has gone topsey-turvey since September 3; some may be away from their London homes, safe in the country. For others, school hours are all changed, and some of you are sharing your Mummy’s pride and anxiety about Daddy who is “ somewhere overseas.’ Remember the fine courage and endurance of your countrywomen throughout history and try to match it with your own. Those of you with fathers serving with the Forces have very special responsibilities. You see, it is up to you to make sure you are doing everything you can so that Mummy doesn’t miss Daddy quite as much as she would have done, if she hadn’t had you. Wherever he is, he will be saying to himself: “ Mummy has

To the Little Girls of England

Anne (or June or Sheila) so it isn’t 1 quite so bad fer her.” See to it that he’s right. Be specially good even on those days when everything you do .seems wrong. It isn’t that Mummy means to be so understanding; she’s just awfully worried. Even if you are at present away from home and don’t see Mummy often, you can write her lovely letters which will make her happy. Be as helful and nice as you can to the people who are taking care of you j if you are away from home. See that Daddy has fine reports ] of you to show his comrades who also have small girls at school. It is going to worry him if Mummy has to ■write and say you aren’t getting on so well as you could be. Be grateful, too, for the good arrangements which have been made to ensure that you get your breakfast and your dinner and your tea every day, and don’t pull a long face because stew appears so often on the table instead of steak! Remember that British sailors and airmen are risking their lives in order that the people of this country shan’t go hungry and so look upon every slice of bread as something precious, something which mustn’t be wasted, j Remember all the time that you ' are British. Be loyal, be brave, be : steadfast, be honest, because you are that most important part of the Brit- j ish Empire—the next generation, j Obey your orders just the same as the fighting forces have to; carry your I gas-mask and don’t forget that the country gave it to you, so take good care of it. Don’t waste anything, not j even a piece of paper. Don’t grumble : even when you really believe you . have cause. Every time you smile < when you want to complain, you are bringing your country nearer to victory because, she counts on the 1 good spirits of her people just the same as she does on the courage and j endurance of her forces. And lastly, keep it always in your mind, that j even the smallest among you isn’t ' too young to start trying to become 1 a good citizen, a useful member of that great community which is the British Commonwealth.