NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 103, 26 January 1943, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS

Reading the statements made by the Prime Minister. Mr. Fraser, and the Controller of Censorship, Mr. McNamara, on the subject of the protest made by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Holland, against the censoring of his private correspondence, the public will naturally come to the conclusion that, the methods of the Censorship Department are too liaphttzard. The censoring of overseas mails to and from New Zealand is one thing; people recognize the need for this as a precaution to prevent information leaking out to Ihe enemy that might possibly expose our armed forces to serious danger. But the censoring of inland correspondence is a different matter. Mr. McNamara says there is very little censoring of this. But that is not the point. The Department presumably ean advance reasons for what little censoring the Controller says is being done. If the reason is good enough to justify that little, its application ought to bear some semblance of system, if it. bears no more resemblance than a lucky dip at a fund-raising fete, as Mr. Holland's experience—and others'—would suggest, then it. had belter be dropped altogether.

Tliere appears to be considerable dissatisfaction in E.P.S. quarters concerning a report that certain compulsory training exercises bad been ordered by the newly-appointed Director of E.P.S. training. This report has been denied in official circles, but there is a degree of verisimilitude in the report suggesting that, something of the kind was at least contemplated, if not actually decided upon. The reaction, which appears to be general, Ims taken the line that present, demands upon members of the E.P.S., coupled with their ordinary businesses and employments in private life, are as much as can be reasonably, be asked of citizens, especially in view of the manpower shortage and the fact that the emergency which called the organization into being appears lo have lost the sharp edge of extreme urgency. Where calls upon citizens can safely be relaxed this might well be done on the understanding that they will bo tightened up should tliere be any indication of a reappearance of imminent danger. There would certainly seem lo be no justification, as tilings stand at present, for placing additional oliligations on citizens at the present time.

In the New Zealaml Air Training Corps, as Wing-Commander Nicholls pointed out in a Sunday evening address, there are opportunities which are too valuable to youth after Hie war lo lie neglected. The present and primary purpose of Ihe corps is to keep Hie growing air force of the Dominion up to Hie required strength and degree of efficiency. 1 lie Ail l-oice has expanded in numbers since Hie war began to an extent tar beyond Hie expectations and estimates of 1939, and it would be impossible yet to define its future limits: so much depends upon Hie course ot events, especially in ihe I‘acific. But the training of ground staffs for maintaining this loi-ce in the air embraces technical crafts of considerable variety, all of them useful and indispensable lo the routine of civil life in peacetime. Tlie war has made it possible for young men to sei-nrc this kind of training under advantageous conditions which would lie very difficult to obtain otherwise, the} arc taught also to be efficient and reliable, for it is upon their feeling of responsibility amt tin- maimer in which they carry out their training and duties that Hie safely and success of our airmen in war depend. Tins is the kind of training Hint should make for sound, responsible citizenship, nnd :i lii"*h qmilitv of pi'oiiui-t ion in Now Zealand indnstrios, after Hie nar.

In 'i timetv note on Hie i-aptiii-o of ’tripoli by Ihe Eighth Aim}. Hie I,iitisli Secretary of Stalo for War. Sir James Grigg, spreads the credit tor this m-liievcnienl over a wide field of eon I ribut ory factors, from each of which the maximiiin of effort anil efficiency was demanded lo ensure that Hie sum total would lie represented by n decisive victory in Hie field. As Hie brilliant executive otlicer of Hie British High Command in the Middle East. General Montgomery lias deservedly won high honours for the 1.-letics. energy and driving force which has distinguished his leadership. But behind him was Hie strategic design. Hie vast organization for carrying jt out. which represented Hie work'of General Alexander. Coniniander-in-Chiet of a great area of which Egypt. Libya, and Tripolitanin, were only a part, and his Headquarters Staff. Within this design and orgaiiizatioii had to he brought into the closest co-operation .’ill Hie elements of hind, sea and air lighting to achieve that measure of co-ordination which expel ience has shown is so essential to victory in modern warlare. In the tributes which are being made to ibis lilial battle which completed the conquest of Mussoliiii's Afrirau l-jnpi r«’. Hkx* Ilnurs should be rcnicnihored.