Defence Plans for New Zealand

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 171, 6 August 1937, Page 5

Defence Plans for New Zealand

Our Own Correspondent.)

FAST NEW PLANES Government'* Policy Predicted MECHANISATEON NEED

(From

WELLINGTON, This Day. The first sensation of the legislatir# year will be the Labour Government'* defence programme, which will be an1 nounced in the middle of next week, probably on Wednesday. The programme, from information :|'ailable~ here, is likely to cover four main groups : — Continuation of the coastal defence programme undertaken on the. advice of .the Secretary to tlie committee of Imperial Defence, Sir Maurice Hankey, who visited N.ew Zealand several years ago. A marked increase in the number of aircraft in the Dominion^* air fieet. A remodelling of the present • Territorial Force both in the diiection of inereasing its numbera and in that of heightening its efficiency. To this will be added m - greater degree of mechanisation. Provision for a budgjetary expenditure much in excess of that in.-the past and a capital expenditure which may run into £2,000,000. The basis of the new programme is a report which was completed at high speed by the Defence Department several months ago in response to an urgent request. Why action along the lines recommended by the report was not at that time explained. 1 From what information is available it is clear that fast new aeroplanes are, to be purchased in some numbers. They; will be much better than any planes which the Dominion has possessed before. They will even include long-range bombers of a type which can hop tho Tasman. * = These planes,- in fact, will be extreme range machines, twin-engined, and will be so modern that even if delivery of them could be obtained at once "the personnel would not be here to fly them. New trained personnel is needed to handle the aiTcraft. An interesting aspect of the new air plan i«s the fact that there will be a new base for the North Island. The new air field at Ohakea, near Palmerston, will supplant the existing aerodrome at Hobsonville because of its central position. Ohakea, between Sandon and Bulls, is practically flat and its approaches are described as ideal. Survey of it began early thii year. Wigram will eerve the South. Island. For the Territorial Force there will be a new mechanisation plan, but the main object will be to get the force back on to a Satisfactory basis and avoid the situation which was, creafed under the present plan under which in 1935-36 only 49 per cent. of the - strength of 8*294 completed camp training and only 30 per cent. both in-camp and out-of-camp training. This object is likely to be achieved by making it possible1 for territorials to enter camp without having to do so cm their annual leave. The new programme will definitely be directed to creating a core of troOps round which could be forined a powerful striking force both "for use in New. Zealand and for employnient abroad if necessary. The force, in other words, t is to be regarded as the basis of somes 6 thing bigger. How the plan will bB financed is not to be revealed, but its cost will be surprising to those who considered that the Government was not prepared to spend on defence. However, all the material will not be available at once, but will be shipped here over a period* Some of the new material, howevfr, ineluding the aeroplanes, will be mad* ■ available almost at once.