The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 1930. MILITARY' DEFENCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 April 1930, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 1930. MILITARY' DEFENCE.

Tub changing conditions in regard to the practice of warfare furnish a sufficient reason for the determination of the Government, as announced by the Prime Minister, to make a careful survey of the land defence system in the Dominion with a view to the revision of it and, if possible, a curtailment of expenditure. As it is absolutely necessary for the safeguarding o: the food supplies of the Empire, in any emergency that may arise that the trade routes should be adequately protected, naval defence is to be regarded in a different light from land defeme. The cost to the country of maintaining its naval defence services in 1928-29 was £'463,496, and an estimate of tnc cost for the year ending on March 31st. is £504,967 —a s um which it should he admitted, is far from excessive when' the importance of the navy as a factor in preserving Empire communications and the value of its ■export trade are considered. Land defence entails an expenditure almost equal to that incurred in naval deeuce. The appropriations, in respect o. it amounted to £481,759 in 1927-2 S, and to £464,595 in 1928-29, and the expenditure for the year which is now drawing to a close was estimated at £'193,587 an appreciable increase, it will be seen, on the expenditure in each of the preceding years. The don in has been expressed whether these sums are not in excess' of the minimum expenditure that should be required for the maintenance of this arm of our defence organisation. It should be recognised that until the pacific negotiations in whi-h the nations of the world arc now engaged have been considerably advanced and actual steps have been taken for disarmament upon a broad international scale adequate measures must he taken in New Zealand for the maintenance of a defence force but it is quite possible that some modification of the present system may he devised without prejudice to its efficiency. It- is desirable, considers the Otago Times, that economy

-hould be observed wherever possible at the present time, when the country is passing through a period of some stress and the outlook for its primary industries is doubtful. In principle, the intention of the Government to revise the system of land defence with •i view to a curtailment of the expenditure upon it will, in the circumstances, not he viewed with very serious misgiving Nor, perhaps, will a proposal to abolish the system of territorial training—which, it is suggested this morning, is contemplated by the Government—be regarded with so much disfavour as would have been the case if it had been put forward a few years ago. For it is fairly clear that the air services must fill a very •important part in the defence System of the future. If, therefore, the revision which the Prime Minister considers necessary is to he directed towards a development of the air services on a scale sufficiently extensive to be really protective, while the military training of senior cadets is not neglecteu, the Government’s proposal, revolutionary though it may he, is one that is not to he dismissed as unworthy of sympathetic consideration.