The Times. PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS. "We nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice." FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER 12, 1919 DOMINION DEFENCE.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 8, Issue 463, 12 September 1919, Page 2

The Times. PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS. "We nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice." FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER 12, 1919 DOMINION DEFENCE.

Without doubt, the defence policy for the Dominion is a subject which electors are taking a keen interest in—sectlonally. It may be said that there are three main policies in the minds of the people. To take the most clamorous section first, it is composed of people who have beautiful visions of everlasting peace among the nations, when war shall be no more, and swords shall give place to plowshares. We must confess that while we are sensible to the splendid vista of international harmony thus conjured up, the condition of world politics gives us no assurance whatever that so blissful a state is within measurable distance of attainment. In direct opposition to this beatific brotherhood band is one which, if it had its way, would Prussianise New Zealand, by greatly over-doing the " military stunt," and running this country into expense that would be quite unwarranted, out of all proportion to the Dominion's actual requirements, and much in excess of the contributions of other British possessions. Neither of these parties can salcly be allowed to rule the roost. Fortunately, the third party, comprising the great mass of the people, are inclined to a sane, moderate policy, making reasonable provision for defence without either endangering the country's safety from invasion, or overloading it with military burdens.

It may sound rather trite at this hour of the day to reiterate that the Navy is our first line of defence, but this war-proven fact needs to be constantly driven home. Whatever standing army and strength of fortifications we may have here, our position would be a parlous one indeed if the seas were not open to our merchant marine : the Dominion's arteries of commerce would be severed, and this, to an essentially producing, exporting country would spell national ruin. It can be accepted as indisputable, therefore, that we must firstly give a due measure of support towards naval power—based in Australasian waters. Next we come to that powerful and wonderfully flexible arm so immensely developed during the war, namely, the Air Service. This Service, besides being a weapon of both defence and offence, on land and sea, is also an auxiliary arm to both military and naval forces. Intact, without an adequate Air Service, the coasts of >»evv Zealand could not be sufficiently well patrolled in time of war, but with a complement of fast scouting planes the whole country and coastlines could be rapidly crisscrossed and patrolled without any great difficult';. Added to its direct powers of defence and offence (bomb - dropping and machine-gunning on transports, troops, warships and submarines), airplanes are the eyes of the Naw and the Aimy , Hie Ail Service is Indispensable in modern wailatc Admitting that the [ Navy and An Seivio are the two lint essentials nl d< fuuv, we mil:,! |'imh'-i admit that bailh . an still won by the Aimy, on I itul, al.v, parenthetically, we may observe I that, as Si) Douglas Haig stiessed [ in his nil moiable summary of the fighting in France, the infantry man still has the la t say, notwithstanding that a huge development of artillei\ power was achieved during the war. Furthermore, to quote the laic Lord Roberts, the greater the military force within a country the greater must be the invading force necessary to effect a landing and subdue that country. And, obviously, the larger the invading foiee required to be '-hipped, the

stealer the transport difficulties, and the larger is the target offered to the defending naval and air services and the land forts. Bearing in mind that all three services are costly, the problem resolves itself into one of providing the minimum of strength in each force, and it seems to us that this may best be achieved by a reasonable contribution towards naval power in Australasian waters ; a local air service working in conjunction with a similar service based on Australia, and a citizenry possessing merely the rudiments of military training and discipline, with a trained permanent staff of officers and N.C.O's. ready to weld the manhood of the Dominion into a good striking force within a few months of the outbreak of war. Just what length of time is absolutely necessary to imparl the required amount of elementary training is the point about which controversy will rage, but the minimum must be made to suffice, otherwise there will be a grave danger of the Dominion's defence being totally jeopardised by the pacifist visionaries on the one hand, and the ultra-militarists on the other. There is an old proverb: "Of two evils choose the lesser," but the modern version runs : "Of two evils choose neither." That is the position in a nutshell. The overwhelming majority of the electors favour a rational policy steadfastly steering between the two extremes, thereby enabling New Zealand to contribute a due share towards the burden of defence without incurring an unnecessarily heavy financial strain on our resources.