INTEREST IN DEFENCE

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22517, 27 September 1938, Page 5

INTEREST IN DEFENCE

| PROPOSED TERRITORIAL ASSOCIATION APPEALS FOR PUBLIC SUPPORT AT MEETING Appeals for a large and representative attendance at the meeting to be held to-morrow night at thp City Council Chambers to discuss the formation of a territorial association have been made by the Mayor (Mr R. M. "Macfarlane), Major H. M. Foster, of the Defence Department, the president of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce (Mr W. S. Mac Gibbon), and the chairman of the defence committee of the chamber (Mr H. C. Hurst),

The Chamber of Commerce took the initiative in suggesting the formation of such an association. For - some months it has been trying to encourage interest in territorial training." It was responsible for the issue of posters to be displayed in business premises, it arranged staff meetings, and took other steps to arouse interest. It was felt, however, that only part of the field was being covered and that the work could be widened, especially along the lines of providing social activities, by forming an association. "A Job for Everyone" "For some time the newspapers and public bodies have been urging the young men eligible for such service in the land forces to offer their services, and at times it seems that recruiting has improved," said Mr Hurst. "But defence is not only the privilege and responsibility of such young men; if trouble comes, and at times lately it has seemed very near, we shall all get it in the neck, young and old. men and women. There should, therefore, be a job for everyone in furthering our defences, and, to my mind, joining the proposed territorial association is at least one way that those not actually eligible to join the forces

can at least them by their moral support. ' r " ■■_'.>' "We must raise the status of-the territorial; the man who gets picked to join a territorial unit should be looked upon as is the man who.. gets'picked to join the All Black football team, or any other sports team. In this the ladies can help; let it-become an established fact that to be a territorial ia 'the thing,' and there will be no further trouble over obtaining the required recruits. "We should support the present defence scheme and make every effort to build it up to the. required strength, and, should we fail, there could be only one alternative. That would be compulsory training. .It is time that the business community took greater interest in the matter of defence, because, should trouble arise, to whom would they first appeal? The military.' Mr Hurst added that he wished to emphasise that the whole move was strictly non-political. - Major-Foster's Views

"I very much hope that this meeting will be successful, in forming such an association, which I feel sure will not only be of great assistance to the army in many ways but will also afford those many who cannot offer their personal service in the forces an opporr tunity o£ at least doing something toencourage those who can offer their services," said Major Foster. "In my view, such an association, to be successful, must draw its membership from people in all walk 3 of life, especially perhaps the sporting fraternity and the Federation of Labour. "The association is to be interested only in the defence scheme of the Government of the day, and as our present scheme is that of our present Government, I greatly hope that those who can wield great influence among their young men, and who back the present Government, will, through the association, also back their defence scheme."

Mr Mac Gibbon said that the Chamber of Conferee would welcome the establishment of an association, as it would bring into greater prominence the neeci for Dominion defence and encourage employers to assist in any way possible those of their employees who were taking the interest that they should jil any of the three branches of national defence. The establishment of such associations had been watched with interest in other centres, and it was to be hoped an association would be just as successful in Christchurch.

The Mayor said that he hoped .that the meeting would be welt attended, as keen interest had been shown in the proposal.