The Auckland Star WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun. WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 1912. CIVIL DEFENCE CONTROL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 117, 20 May 1942, Page 6

The Auckland Star WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun. WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 1912. CIVIL DEFENCE CONTROL.

J\ the event df a major enemy attack on New Zealand effective action hv the annod forces would be influenced for good or ill by the I'ch.iviiHir m the mil population and by the functioning of the civil di'lrmr i ii u.l llat :i >iis. Iti the areas immediately affected, and also possil'lv in oihei area-;. I lie people.' would he required to do certain things an '' leh,mi liiiin doing others, in order to help, or not to hamper, the f'nied Ihmcs. The people cannot do their part unless they are skilfully tl.i r-< i(•(| .mi! skiltul direction in turn depends first on the acquaintance '' io I' nl the civil (ietence organisat Inns with the requirements ol ;irmv - These considerations fully support the decision of the ci'iiment to appoint regional commissioners, to whom the regional c '"'"' " ! "'r-> will look for informal ii n and direction. In so far as the new 11 11 ■"• ■in- deci'iit ral isa(ion ol control, and lessens the need to be "referring to W'ellingion" for decisions, it is doubly welcome, ''lie "'" I hern c( Colonel F. L. S. West, will take up his task vs "'' J-.ooilvsill nl the public, which v\ill hope that on such questions a., (lie degree and method of evacuation he will he enabled to make Hear <iii decisions, fair to all and clearly understood by all. As ;u other mailers, New Zealand is fortunate in having had much ime to prepare civil defence organisation, and the opportunity to profit " H ' " 'niil experience of countries abroad which have suffered invasion or, as in the I nited Kingdom, repeated heavy bombing. Nevertheess H S (|uesliiitiahle whether all the lessons which could he learned have been learned. During the heavy bombing in Britain, it has been l ei mi let It! lore was something very near to temporary collapse in certain Ihe 'ai uro was due to faulty plans and preparations, for • ''jUp e. in In e-lighl mg, to divided command—the local administration :;: ; wn ; ,lu \ regional auihority failed to take its place—to ignorance .ii., th( >,em i,d public, leading to mass evacuation."

11 cannot be reasonably appreiicnded that New Zealand will suffer Oomi)ll igs heavy enough to cause similar disorganisation, but there would '' '"'"igcr ot its arising in the event of an invasion aUempt. Such disorganisation, as exporienc; amply witnesses, can gravely affect or even u-o'V 1 ' 1 ' T P r'n S " f th ° aniu ' d rorces - Uisto bG hoped that Colonel \\i st and his fellow commissu nets will make an exhaustive examination of the civil defence organisations so far built up. Much thought and labour have been expended upon them, often by men normally busy enough with other duties or occupations, but these would be the first to admit imperfections and deficiencies, some of which it has not been possible to make good because of the lack of such co-ordinated control as the commissioners will now have the power to exercise. Apart from this changing conditions continually necessitate the overhaul and amendment of army plans and organisation, and the necessity in civil defence whP-h"p a in°hJi n ° ' e f' T > he guidir, S thought should be that the things which can be done when the enemy is not here, and are not done, might E2 n .P . u arr L ved - In circumstances of invasion there would be no time and no breathing space—no second chance.