COUNTRY'S DEFENCE NEEDS WILL SHOCK

Chronicle (Levin), 6 August 1946, Page 8

COUNTRY'S DEFENCE NEEDS WILL SHOCK

-Press Association ,

PEOPLE MUST BE TOLD THE TRUTH

By Telegraph-

a U CKL AiN D, August o. j Tlie impoi'tauce of New Zealand i ■ speudiug far more ou lier defeuce than j sbe had ever spent before and more ; tban tlie country liad ever tlioug'lit it ! would be necessary to spend, was emphasised by |M r. D. F. C. (Saxton, managing editor of the Taranaki Daily News, who arrived by flyingboat after attepding the Empire l'ress Union conferenee in Londop. Mr. Saxton, who subsequently visited France, Belgium, Holland and Germany, said defeuce was somethiug that could be shelved only at the Dominion 's perril. The Dominions, althougli they had made token contributions in .peace and comparatively substantial effoi'ts in war, liad in the past relied primarily upon Britain for their defence. Mr. Saxton said the drain on Britain 's resources during the set'ond world war had inade it unfair and impossible for her to coutinue the task and the Dominions' must fend for theinselves. Membersliip of the British Conimonwealth entailed responsibility as well as privilege. The logieal solution seemed a regional defence seheme in which various nations and colonies- grouped themselves on a broad geograpliical basis and in which Britain would participate to a reasonable limit of her resources. On this basis New Zealand would probably be attaehed to the ftjuth West Pacifie grouping, ineluding Australia, and with its focal point at Singapore. A heayy expenditure on defence was never popular with people in time of poaee, speeially jusl after a war, but the realities of tlie situation were plainly apparent throughout the world. Mr. Saxton said no New Zealander who had spent. a little time on the Continent todav, or who had tested the atmosphere, sentiiner.t and undereurrents in the Middle and Far East, would have any doubt about the proper eourse. The general eonee.nt.ions ot the League of Nations were ideals to be striven for with patienee but at this stage the only metliod of ensuring peaee was to keep strong enough to prevent aggression. These requit'ements would involve spending on a seale that might shoek the people. He eoneluded* that it would mean thinking of annual defence budnets in terms of tens of millions of pounds but any Government that laeked the eourage to tell the people of the trend, and to aet accordingly, would fail in its trust. This was the only trne form of national security without which soeial security would be worthless.