DEFENCE TOPICS

Evening Star, Issue 22443, 14 September 1936, Page 13

DEFENCE TOPICS

QUARTERDECK AND PARADE GROUND [By Sam Browns.] NAVAL RESERVES PROGRESS MAINTAINED Last Tuesday the visual signalling and junior wireless ratings carried out practical training in connection with their branch of the work in addition to carrying out the monthly interdivisional wireless and signal exercise conducted by H.M.S. Philomel. The junior wireless ratings also continued instruction in transmitting and rereceiving messages by the Morse code. On Wednesday a lecture was given to seamen ratings on the Lewis gun, including stripping, with an explanation. of the working parts _ and the principles of the gun’s operation. Latet a demonstration of reassembling the gun was given by petty' officers ; and leading hands The senior wireless ratings carried out wireless communication with other R.N.V.R. divisions and H.M.S. Philomel. Wireless and visual signalling ratings will assemble to-morrow, and seamen and senior wireless ratings on Wednesday, when the syllabus will include a lecture to . the seamen on chemical warfare, while the senior wireless ratings will communicate with vessels of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy and other R.N.V.R. stations. RIFLE SHOOTING, The annual musketry course will be fired at the Pelichet Bay range during October. The Roberts Cup is awarded for the best shot for the year in this course. . ; Good progress is being made in the ladder competition for small-bore shooting. To-night preliminary instruction will bo given in aiming iu preparaton for the musketry course. TRAINING AFLOAT. Fourteen days’ training affoat in H.M.S, Achilles for R.N.V.R* wireless and signal ratings may be available during November. Early application to participate is essential. RUGBY FOOTBALL. There will he a meeting to-night to discuss the annual Rugby football match against the 12th Battery. SOCIAL. The third dance of the season was held at divisional headquarters on Saturday, when a most enjoyable evening was spent. ! INVITATION TO EMPLOYERS. An invitation has been extended to al employers of ratings serving in the Otago Division to attend divisional headquarters on any Wednesday evening, when the officers of the division will conduct them round and explain tho various phases of the training iu operation. THE OTAGO REGIMENT LECTURE TO TRAINING CADRE Last Tuesday night a lecture was given to members of the training cadre of the Otago Regiment on map reading by Lieutenant R. D. B. Paterson. Tho transport section resumed mounted work last Tuesday. Since the introduction of the 40-hour week those members of the section who have been free on Saturday mornings have been overhauling the harness on that day. The section will parade at Central Battery to-morrow night, when mounted work will be continued. A week-end bivouac will be held for members of the Port Chalmers platoon in the vicinity of Sawyers Bay on September 26 and 27. COURSES. A course of instruction for officers and n.c.o. s of the 3rd Infantry Brigade will be held at Burnham from October 2 till October 9, while a course for signal officers of infantry and mounted units will bo held at Trentham during November.

EUROPEAN WAR INEVITABLE

OPINION OF DR CHARLES ROLLS Speaking from personal experiences gaine'd through travel in most of the Far Eastern countries, Dr Charles Rolls stressed to Auckland Rotarians the gravity of the international position. It was, he said, the definite aim of Mussolini to continue on a policy, of concinest. and the map of the old Roman Empire had been unrolled for the guidance and emulation of the Italian people. They had been told that Britain had been unable to protect Abyssinia, and would be no more capable of repelling other attacks in the Far East. Turkey, he said, had been allowed to Fortify the Dardanelles because it was well known that Mussolini was out to make the Mediterranean an Italian lake. In Persia, the speaker had found German interests predominant. No British plane was allowed to pass over Persia, and British influence generally had been reduced to a minimum in that country. Palestine was the strategic centre of the Mediterranean, and the speaker suggested that in that country the co-operation of the Jews should be courted. At the present time a commission was engaged in an investigation of records going back hundreds of years to obtain the accuracy or otherwise of Arabian claims. Expressing the views that war in Europe was inevitable, Dr Rolls said that Britain was working feverishly night and day to build up her armaments. If she could keep out of European entanglements for another 12 months the position might be looked upon as reasonably secure from the Empire’s point of view. However, that fact did not justify present apathy on the part of New Zealanders, who had to be prepared to play a greater part in the defence of their own country. Passing through the Dominion in the last few weeks, he had noted that the oil tanks in all the main centres were above ground, and thus susceptible to bomb attack, and the country had no searchlights sufficiently powerful to show up warships standing off the coast. New Zealand’s guns were not big enough to be really effective. He was not a militarist nor a pessimist, but he looked upon it as a matter of national self-protection that New Zealanders must deal seriously with the vital matter of defence.

LEAVE TO ATTEND GAMPS

AUCKLAND COUNCIL EMPLOYEES Stating that he did nob need to appeal to the Auckland City Council to do justice to its employees, Sir George Richardson, at a council meeting recently moved three motions with the object of permitting those council employees who were members of the Territorial force to attend training without personal loss. The town clerk is to investigate the number of employees affected. Sir George said that at present employees wishing to attend camps Had to take that time off their annual leave. The training received at camps in these days of mechanisation was moro essential than ever before. The young,men should not have to sacrifice their holidays, he added. The motions were: “ (1) That the necessary leave, with pay, be given to all officers and employees of the Auckland City Council who are members of the Territorial Force, to enable them to attend the annual camps of their regiment, such leave not to be deducted from the annual leave; (2) that the necessary leave, without pay, be given to enable them to attend special courses _ of instruction which may be held during the year; (3) that the town clerk confer with the Defence Department and the various heads of departments of the council with a view to carrying out the above with a minimum of inconvenience to the council.” Mr L. J. Coakley seconded and endorsed what Sir George had said, stating that the council, as a large employer of labour, might set an example to other employers _ The deputy-mayor, the Hon. B. Martin, M.L.C., moved an amendment that the town clerk be instructed to report on the number of employees affected by the first and second motions, and that the third be held over until that report was submitted. The amendment was accepted.