Facing the Facts

New Zealand Listener, Volume 2, Issue 31, 26 January 1940, Page 12

Facing the Facts

T N his speech in Auckland last week, Mr. Fraser emphasised the necessity of _. "facing the facts" in the war situation. But most of us are shy before facts. Instead of facing them we try to slip past without looking at them, and in extreme cases deny their presence. There are, however, three war facts that it is useless to,try to forget. The first is the fact that a German victory would mean worse things for Britain to-day than it meant to France seventy years ago. It would mean worse things for New Zealand than any New Zealander has ever known or can easily imagine. It would mean worse things for freedom than any democracy has known since the French revolution. The second is the fact that victory for Germany is a possibility. To-day, as twentyfive years ago, we are fighting an enemy whose courage and skill are equal to our own and whose preparations are at least a year further advanced. We have greater resources, but neither our man-power nor our material strength can be fully employed at short notice. They can in fact only be marshalled for use behind the ceaseless watch of the Navy. That watch will be maintained at a cost. But if, while it is being maintained, the rest of us slack, our peril will be greater than it has ever been since August, 1914. And let us not forget that twice at least between the beginning and the end of that last war we were within two or three days of utter disaster. The third is the fact that the victory we seek, and the result we must never cease to aim at, is the liberation of all nations from brigandage. Mr. Fraser, as we have pointed out before, takes risks. He says what he thinks and expresses what he feels. But if it is dangerous to say that we seek a victory, not for one nation but for all, and settled peace and happiness for all, it is dangerous to believe our eyes in clear daylight. There is no need for alarm if we do our duty. There is almost no ground for hope if we shirk,