THE HOME GUARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24408, 20 September 1940, Page 8

THE HOME GUARD

NOT A FASCIST MOVEMENT SAFEGUARD AGAINST TRAITORS MR SEMPLE’S EXPLANATION (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, Sept. 19. Discussing the formation of the Home Guard, the Minister of Manpower Mr R. Semple, said the only reason it was created was to protect the lives, property and liberty of the people of New Zealand. It had been said that the Government was creating a Fascist organisation. That was a deliberate misrepresentation. An organised nation could discover where the traitors were and put them out of action. A disorganised country was a fertile ground for the traitor, a term he preferred to Fifth Columnist Every country in the world to-day had its percentage of traitors. Mr Semple said, and New Zealand was no exception. The Home Guard would serve to bring the New Zealand people closer together, so that they would understand they had a common destiny Even if there was no need to use the Home Guard in defence of the country, and God forbid we should. _we would bo the better nation for having rubbed shoulders together and created a better tolerance and comradeship. Referring to the vanquished countries. Mr Semple said everv vestige ol liberty in them had been wiped out, and if the British Empire fell we would have to face the same fate “ But the British Empire will never fall. ‘ There’ll always be an England.’ ” MOBILE UNIT SERVICES OF RIFLEMEN A PRELIMINARY MEETING The possibility of forming a mobile unit of the Home Guard composed of members of rifle clubs, as well as other experienced riflemen, was discussed at a meeting f riflemen held last night under the auspices of the Otago Rifle Association. There was an attendance of some 50 or 60 men, presided over b; Colonel E, R. Smith, who was appointed the riflemen’s delegate on the Dunedin Home Guard Committee. After some discussion, it was decided to adjourn until more information was available and the Home Guard enrolment cards were ready. Colonel Smith said that when General Young, commander of the Home Guard, was in Dunedin recently he had informed a deputation that riflemen in that organisation would not be provided with any equipment, but would have to supply their own rifles and transport. No uniforms would be provided, and, for the present, it would not be possible to provide ammunition for practice, although later on something would no doubt be done in that direction. General Young had stated that members of the territorial forces, members of the National Military Reserve, and men in the flrst division of the General Reserve, would not be eligible for the Home Guard. The secretary oi the Rif l '' Association, Mr H. J. Whitehead, said he understood the enrolment cards would be available in a few days’ time, and as soon as those were received the organisation .vould go ahead. In reply to a question, he said the riflemen would be formed into a distinct unit under military control. The idea was to form mobile units in each district, so that if any emergency arose a squad of men could be despatched to the spot auicklv and harass the enemy until the arrival of the military forces. A discussion took place concerning the classes of men eligible to join the Home Guard, on which some doubt was expressed, and eventually it was decided to leave the miestion of enrolment over until defi information wnc received on that point. Mr W T Ford, president ot the North Otago Miniature. F’fle Shooting Association, was given authcritv to call a with the object of forming a riflemon’c unit of the Home Guard in North Otago.