Today, New Zealand celebrates the thirty-fourth anniversary of its rise to Dominion status, for it was on September 28, 1907, that the elevation of the colony to that status was declared. It had been given self-government long before that under the guidance of the Colonial Office, but the decision of the Britis" Government to transform the Empire into a commonwealth of nations, bound together by common loyalty and mutuality of interests, led io. New Zealand being made to rank with Canada, Australia and South Africa. That it demonstrated. New Zealand was no whit be was a wise move subsequent history has amply hind the other Dominions.when Europe was plunged into war by the ex-Kaiser, They contributed of their man-power in a splendid response to the call of the Empire, and the deeds of their men cover the military records of the Dominion with considerable glory. Again, when Hitler commenced the war for which he had been preparing New Zealand did not fail to rally to the common cause, and men of the Dominion together with those from Australia have shown the Italians and the Germans the fighting quality of Britain's imperial sons. In addition to that, New Zealahd has followed the example of all the other Dominions by devoting a considerable portion of her industry to the manufacture of war material, and it may with justice be said that the people of New Zealand are pulling their weight in the titanic struggle which is now progressing. Hitler has written something to the effect that it would be a terrible thing to destroy the British Empire. He may or may not have meant what he wrote, but of this he may be safisfied—the people of the British Commonwealth are fully determined that, now that he is attempting precisely that very thing, he shall be defeated and Germany reduced to such a position that no third attempt Shall be made. A democracy such as the British Commonwealth, bound together #by ties which the Nazi mind can never hope to understand, is not easily to be torn apart and it is long before Hitler is brought to a realization of confidently L- y" that it will not be so very that fact. When that time comes it will have been people like the New Zealanders who will have assisted Great Britain in bringing it about. and the part they are playing in this struggle will add much to the great glory which is already theirs.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.