OUR IMMINENT DANGER

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 16, 13 February 1942, Page 5

OUR IMMINENT DANGER

THE FATE OF NEW ZEALAND URGENT NEED FOR PREPARATION The following circular letter has been addressed to all newspapers by jVIr M. C. G. McCaul, ex-president of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce and past president of the Associated Chambers of Commerce. His views are largely shared by the people of the Dominion and we have pleasure in printing them in full: "We are thinking seriously and talking about many things that are important —very important—but to-day, when we can no longer rely upon Singapore . asl a barrier to Japanese invasion; all these things that appearedl vital then, and were of the ■>- utmost importance then, simply fades into insignificance now we - are face to face with the likeli- , hood of invasion.

I dk> not regret one man or one gun that we have sent abroad for the defence of Great Britain, Egypt and the Pacific, for at that time, our line of defence ■was in those places. To-d i ay, conditions are entirely different. Singapore, our traditional defence against invasion by Japan, is iio longer available as a base for the British Fleet. Our former 'basttion of defence is like a brok~en sword 1 i'n : the hand of a war' rior faced by his foe.

Many think that Japan hias more important matters to think of than New Zealand. Admitted, New Zealand for herself is not worth Japan troubling about now; but if Japan desires to isolate Australia 'and! cut off food 1 supplies from Great Britain, her obvious method' is to : seize New Zealand and a baste' in Tasmania. Look at the map; she has reached New Guinea. The next steps are New Caledoni'a, New Zealand: and 1 Tasmania. Then Australia -will be held in a giant pincer.

All our present thoughts appear to be directed towards slit trench protection for civilians. A civilian casualty list is of lit•tie real account when compared % -with the' military defence of the -country. If we wish to save our country from invasion, and 1 do our job by the Empire, New Zealand must be defended by an efficient jarmy, and it must be prepared) avow. A division fully equipped -with tanks, bombers, fighters and all the modern appurtenances of war must be establishedquickly in each Island, or we! will be too late, for all except mutual recriminations. The people of this country must speak with «ne voice on the subject our adequate defence in this imminent danger, or bear their slhare of the blame for their wilful blindness and! complacency.