The Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays. FRIDAY, MARCH 21st, 1941. NEED FOR PREPAREDNESS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 285, 21 March 1941, Page 4

The Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays. FRIDAY, MARCH 21st, 1941. NEED FOR PREPAREDNESS

"IT is the clear duty of every New Zealand citizen in this time of crisis to. come forward and share in the task of defending the country. In their tens of thousands young men are offering their lives for service overseas; others are undergoing intenifive training for the d.efence of our own shores. But the services of all a,re needed elsewhere in the larger struggle. Every able-bodied man and woman has a part to play, but effective service can only be rendered by those who have undergone training to fit them to work in organised units." Thus the Prime Minister introduces a leaflet recently issued setting out the ways in which all British subjects in the Dominion over the age of 16 years may serve their country, by joining with the Emergency Precautions Scheme, the Home Guard or the Women's War Service Auxiliary. Already in Whakatane the Home Guard is a powerful unit, while the Emergency Precautions Scheme anc} the Women's War Auxiliary have been taken in. hand by capable committees and will shortly be acting in their full capacity. Those who desire -to serve their country by joining these services should, having deliberated as to in which unit they will by reason of their qualifications and nature of their employment be able to give the best degree of service, make no 1 delay in enrolling. The whole, world is the theatre of war to-day and., although it is earnestly hoped that this country will not be subjected to a direct attack, it is only wise that such possibility should not be ignored and every effort made to organise fully in preparation for such an eventuality.