WHAT'S BEING DONE?

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 162, 20 May 1940, Page 8

WHAT'S BEING DONE?

RETURNED MEN'S QUERY HOME DEFENCE QUESTION With the fast-moving • of the past week so prominent-*-ly in mind, Returned Soldiers and others interested in the defence of the Dominion are asking the question—just what is; the Government of this country doing to safeguard the Domini ion against attack. It is quite evident from recent 1 events that even the remotest and 1 ' most neutral countries are not' immune from invasion* What then is the Dominion doing in its own in-* terests, against these undeniable possibilities. In 1914 with the Dominionfar more remote from the scene of military activities than it is to-day and with the international position infinitely less complicated, formed the National Reserve, as a precau-" tionary measure which was considered most necessary. To-day withbthousands of veterans keen and willing to do something towards assisting the war effort, the authorities apparently consider such action unwarranted. Ex-servicemen in Wha-'" katane have expressed their surprise-' at the smtill attention given th&matfcer of home defence on a general scale. The institution of. re-#~-gular rifle practices, of physical training, drilling and marching would create in a comparatively - short time a willing army, of seasoned troops who could be relied upon? to meet any possible emergency arising out of the present uncertainty. All who heard the appeal of the new Secretary for War, Mr Anthony* Eden, for the formation of a homedefence corps in England, with age limits from 17 to 65 years, will haveappreciated the wisdom of such a move in the face of the threat of~ invasion. Why not in New Zealand, where thousands are proffering their services, but are disqualified througlr age, from joining up. The folly of" cherishing a sense of false securityhas been too often, and too painfully demonstrated within weeks to need any reiteration here, but the fact remains—what is Ntew Zealand doing to safeguard herself against possible aggression?