HOME DEFENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24420, 4 October 1940, Page 8

HOME DEFENCE

"EXPANSION SCHEME FORCE OF 44,048 MEN TOTAL BY NEXT MARCH (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) , WELLINGTON. Oct. 3. By March next we will have an armed force in New Zealand of 44,048 men,” the Minister of Defence (Mr F. Jones) said in the House of Representatives to-night. This figure represents an increase of 28,000 on the ■ wewar force. The Minister said that the number of territorials at the outbreak of the war was 16,000, and the force had supplied a large number of men for the Expeditionary Force. A decision was made to bring the force up to the war establishment of 25,985, and by March the men would have had three months’ training. A total of 9572 were in additional units being established, and the National Military Reserve totalled 8941. About 11,000 men would be going into camp fcr three months’ territorial training, and the last lot would enter camp in February. . The force of 25,000 would provide a splendid defence force for New Zealand. All that meant expense in providing extra buildings and camps. Mr W. J. Poison (Opposition, Stratford); Surely you have a better camp than Waiouru?

■ Mr Jones replied that Waiouru was a very healthy and central place. Experts had recommended that camp, where most of the Territorial training would be done in the autumn,. spring, and summer.