THE WARNING BELL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 195, 5 August 1940, Page 4

THE WARNING BELL

AUSTRALASIA, so long basking in the supposed safety of magnificent isolation has been rudely disturbed by the militant policy of Imperial Japan, now in the hands of a Government which knows no other force than war, and the operations of the military machine for the achievement of its policy. The island continent of Australia i is rallying her' forces for home defence and in this country it is pleasing to note the efforts now being made by the Government to create an army of reservists, and a mobile force of Mounted Rifles for operation in the country areas. The position as it obtains at present points to the creation of a standing army of territorials which is undergoing training at the present time. In the country however there are already facilities for the training of men of the Mounted Force. In this force the age limit has been fixed at 45 years, thus enabling returned soldieiis and others who are unable to enlist for active service to become useful members of the army for home defence- A further and even more far-reaching move now under consideration is the formation, of a National Reserve which will be open to all able-bod,ied men, and will .'include the types who so readily responded to the recent appeal by the Returned Soldiers' Association in Whakatane. In this connection it is understood that the plan for training will operate, throughout the recogn.ised< military disricts as at present placed. In the No. 2 area,. Paeroa will be the headquarters., the sub-centres being Rotorua,, Tauranga, Whaka tane and Opotiki. That the move will be a popular one there is no gainsaying, and Whakatane can be expected to provide a strong battalion. The mounted force bids fair to become even more popular, and district farmers can.be relied upon to swell the ranks, providing an impressive addition to the mobile units which will be drawn from the South Auckland district. The country eagerly awaits further details of the scheme, such as recruiting, training, arming and control.