EMERGENCY CORPS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 244, 12 September 1940, Page 6

EMERGENCY CORPS

DISTRICT CONFERENCE

HON. R. SEMPLE’S ADDRESS

Representatives of local bodies in the area extending from Otaki to the northern-most boundaries of the Oroua County Council were addressed in the Palmerston North Council Chambers to-day by the Minister of National Service (Hon. 11. Semple) in regard to the application of the Emergency Reserve Corps Regulations to this district. At the close of the meeting a vote of thanks was accorded the Minister for his interesting, patriotic and inspiring address, approving the proposals and assuring him that the man-power of this district would be immediately organised on, the lines ho suggested.

The chair was occupied by the Mayor of Palmerston North (Mr A. E Aiansford). Mr Semple was accompanied by hlr J. Hodgens, M. 1.. and Mr R. Sinel, organiser of the Home Guard, was also in the Mmisteriu party. The local bodies represented wore the Palmerston North City Council, the Borough Councils or Podding, Shannon, Foxton, Levin and Otaki and the County Councils ol Oroua. Kiwitca, Pohangina, Manawatu, Kairanga and • Horowhenua. There were also present Hon. J. G. Cobbc, M.P., and Mr L. G. Lowry, M.P. , The Mayor extended a cordial welcome to the Minister, saying that Mr Semple, in accepting the portloho oi National Service, had undertaken .. a position which could not lie carried out in what was known as the 40-hour week. Adding a welcome on behalf of the members of Parliament, Mr Hodgens said they were pledged to do everything they could to unify the people of this zone. , MINISTER’S OUTLINE.

The Minister thanked the speakers for their welcome and said there- were 300,000 men who could service if an invasion came our way. These men were apart from the 'territorials and' those who were going .overseas. The task now was to organise these 300.000 so that if the call came they would be able to defend the country. This was the last meeting be hud to address on the subject in the Dominion, said the Minister. It was but three weeks since the regulations had been gazetted. The spirit shown in the earlier meetings had been an inspiration and wherever bis party liad gone they had been met by nothing but goodwill. One question asked privately was whether we could defend the Dominion, proceeded Mr Semple. That was a hopeless, pessimistic view to take. The answer was definitely in the affirmative. New Zealand lent herself to defence by her geographic position, the country was far from any invader’s source of supply. If the people were organised they could defend the country. In the meantime, we had to put forward our maximum efforts for the Old Country. A second question was: Had we any need to fear ? The sooner anyone with those ideas got rid of them the better. They had forgotten, or liad never tried to learn, that we were living in a different age. We had a mechanised and power driven age now, and our system' of transportation “had been revolutionised. Distance had been wiped out and New Zealand was now within the four corners of the danger zone. There were hungry nations, thirsting for new territories, and New Zealand would be a valuable prize. We bad a duty to protect the heritage we had been handed. The Minister said he was convinced in his own mind that never in our history had the need been greater lor unity than now. If the danger that surrounded us did not bring us together in one family then we were a hopeless nation and did not deserve to survive. Wo had now to forget material things. Was this a time to think of material things when we might lose the very essence of life itself? Liberty was the only thing worth living for. If one took, that away we would be “back to the jungle.” v Political, economic and religious liberty were threatened today. NOT A SCAREMONGER.

“I do not want you to think that I am a scaremonger or a fatalist,” proceeded Mr Semple. “I am just one of the common men of the street, who looks at the grim realities of life and realises what wo are up against.”

The Minister said he wanted to impress on people, not the mature people at the meeting, but some irrational folk, that we in New Zealand were inseparably wrapped up with the Old Country. Their success was our success; their defeat our defeat. We had a responsibility to see that the freedom we enjoyed in our time was handed to our children; our liberty had been handed to us. by the pioneers of democracy and the. warriors of old. They fought for things to be enjoyed by others to succeed them, and we should hand on this sacred liberty’. “I do not give a rap,” said the Minister, “if I come out of this conflict witliout twopence and without a roof over my head, as long as I can hand over to my children, and to their children, the freedom ’l* have enjoyed. Like most of you, I have topped the summit in life >and am now going down the slope. It does not matter about us, but what about the children?” Touching on the Fifth Column, the Minister said it did exist in a nucleus ill this country, hut was not as extensive as in the countries over which Hitler’s armies had run. The Fifth Column, with Nazism, Fascism ami Communism, had wrecked France before the war broke out. She had been wrecked from within. If we did not realise that there was a Fifth Column influence in New Zealand we would suffer too. It should be nipped in the bud, and we had to take a lesson from the blood-stained, cruel examples of the countries Hitler had overrun. The Government asked the local bodies to take over the initial organisation of the Home Guard because their members were respected, tried and accredited representatives of the people. No mushroom growths were wanted without national, control. The nation had to get'together now, asserted the Minister. Party polities had to be “put on the shelf” for a time. There could be no social distinctions in such a body as the Home Guard. "We had to get together, think together and, if need be die together to protect this most wonderful little spot, New Zealand. ORGANISATION PLANS.

An explanation of. the organisation of the Home‘Guard was given by Mr Sinel. who outlined that it was semimilitary in character and, in an extreme emergency, would bo incorporated in the military forces. The local bodies would be charged with the allocation of men to the units where they would be of the maximum use, and these units would he organised on much the same lines as the Army There was no doubt that the scheme would work excellently, but if the need arose for alteration of the regula-

tions then this would bp effected immediately. Training would be given the men by persons qualified to give. it. and the local bodies would enlist and attest the men. The area commander, on whom heavy work would tall in the initial stages, would not be paid a salary, but would receive his expenses. A number of questions were asked, and in reply to these Mr Sinel said that the local body, in allocating men to their positions, would not be required to do so arbitrarily, but would do so after consulting the area officer and the man concerned if there was a particular doubt. Men who belonged to the Class II Reserve could not join the Home Guard, but in certain cases they would be transferred to the Home Guard. Members of the Home Guard would serve in their own districts. The Emergency Precautions Scheme came within the control of the Home Guard. The Minister explained that enlistment forms would bo sent out within a fortnight. The resolution previously mentioned was then carried on the motion of the Mayor seconded by Mr W. R. Hopcroft (chairman of the Kairanga County Council) and the gathering sang the National Anthem at tho Minister’s suggestion. On his call three cheers were given for the men on active service.