Since Singapore

New Zealand Listener, Volume 6, Issue 140, 27 February 1942, Page 4

Since Singapore

E are not simple enough to suppose that the feature story printed on Pages 8 and 9 of this issue is in itself very important. At the most we spoke to thirty or forty people and at the best those who answered our questions answered them without forethought. It is obvious too that it is never possible to frame questions in a hurry that will infallibly uncover casual minds. \ But if our story is not important the subject of it is. New Zealand is either getting ready to defend itself since Singapore or it is drifting lazily to destruction. The peril %& very real and may be very near, for we cannot assume that the last place to be attacked will be the place farthest away from the enemy’s country. The first place attacked in the Pacific was four thousand miles from that country, and two thousand from its nearest base, and if anyone pretends to. know where the next. blow will fall he should be put in a concentration camp. He is a gambler and a fool, and should be put where fools are least dangerous. But since we are all fools some of the time, the pur*pose of this hasty investigation by our staff was to discover, if we could, whether the credulous and the complacent are still " numerous enough among us to frustrate the efforts of those who now know what the facts are-not enough ships or planes or guns or men to’ make invasion either impossible or improbable. We wanted to know how many people had grasped those facts, and of those who had grasped them how many were facing them with calm courage. _ And of course we still don’t know, but we know a little more than we did. Some of those we approached laughed at us, some gave frivolous answers, and one or two tried pathetically to be funny. But most answered earnestly, and very few had failed to realise that the peace and comfort we still enjoy in New Zealand may disappear any day or any night. Just as definitely very few were foolishly alarmed. We found impatience, anxiety about plans, irritation that so much had been talked about and so little (apparently) done. But there was as little panic as would be found on an ocean liner in a violent storm, and as clear an indication that orders will be obeyed calmly if the extremity becomes suddenly worse.