N.Z. DEFENCE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 636, 14 September 1933, Page 6

N.Z. DEFENCE

("Post" Special Commissioner.) j

a reorganisation POSITION OCCASIONING SOME DISQUIETUDE IN OFFICIAL CIRCLES STRENGTBENING AIR FORCE;

■'A. Wellington, Wednesday During' the last few weeks fhere has been awakening of. interest in Government circles in defence matters, but up to the present time the Minister of Defence (the Hon. J. G. Cobbe) has kept a disereet silence on the policy of his department. However it is learnt from other quarters that Cabinet will shortly be usked to consider plans for the re -organisation of the defence system 'in the Dominion. Since the inauguration of the. voluteer system the Dominion's expenditure on defence has been severely curtailed, and only a small part of the previous activit;es is now carried on. Aecording to the Minister the response of volunteers has been up to expectations, but from other sources the reports are not so rc-assuring, and appeals have been made by personal letter for volunteers for the lormation or enlargement of certain units. One official of the Defence Depaitanent stated recently that occasionaily parades have been held with a greater muster of offieers than men. A few weeks ago the Minister called a conference of the senior offieers of the Defence Department, and it is understood that at this conference pro posals were discussed for the re-or-ganisation of the force. It is. believed that, as the result of the conference, the Government viewed the present .position with some disquietude, and the general opinion among the members of Cabinet was that the defence system should be placed on a sounder , basis. It is probable that the immediate re-organisation will not be extensive, but that the- maia attention will be directed towards strengthening of the "fighter" type ,and it is expected that provision will be made for improved aerodrome accommodation. The Government already has before it a definiite scheme for the establishment of a chain of aerodromes throughout New Zealand, and a report as to their possible location and cost is at the present time receiving the attention of the Director of Air Servfices ( Squadron-Leader T. M. Wilkes), who has been visiting various centres. The proposal was first placed before the Government by the New Zealand Aero Club, and there is reason to believe that if was favourably received. Scheme of Reorganisation The scheme. wiiich: has been submitted to the Government is as follows — 1. The Director of Air Services to be requested to prepare a pia*1 showing his requirements for a national chain of emergency landing grounds, embracing the whole of the Dominion, the map to show the approximate location of each landing ground within, say, a five-mile radius, having in view the suitability of location from the point of proximity to established and prospective air routes. 2. The Public Works Department to be requested to place at the disposal of the Director of Air Services a competent engineer with a full knowledge of the construction and requirements of landing grounds, the officer in question to be part time employed in supervising the work entailed in the scheme, and to be called upon to give his advice on all engineering questions relating to aerodromes and landing grounds. 3. A direct appeal to be made on patriotic grounds to the owners of land in the area' selected by the Director of Air Services to place their land at the disposal of the Goverri i ment for the purposes of the scheme on the undertaking that the use of the land for landing purposes would not interfere with the ordinary use of the land for farming purposes. 4. On receipt of advice from owners of land that the land would be available for the purposes indicated, the site to be inspected by an officer of the Air Force and the a'dvisory engineer. j 5. Upon the site being declared suitj able for emergency lanaing ground purposes, the officer of the Public Works Department to be asked to enter into the desired arrangements for the _ use of the ground as an emergency landing ground by U13 Defence Department and the machines engaged in civil aviation. 6. Upon the completion of the necessary formalities, the Public Works Department to be asked to proceed immediately with an engineering- survey of the site and with the work of levtlling by the use of unemp-oyed labour. In remote localitiss it would be necessary to establish camps by arrangement with the Unem ployment Board. 7. Necessary work in i.h'e improvement of existing aerodromes and landing grounds to be undertaken in a similar manner to that outlined above. 8. Cabinet to be asked to give the Public Works Department and the Unemployment Board any necessary authority to cover the cost of tools, camp establismeut, engineering surveySj transportation, and maintenance of working, and any other expenses necessar.ily incurred in the carrying out of the above scheme. Naturally such a scheme requires J thorough investigation, and it will be some time before the Director of Air Services will be in a position to make a report on the proposals. Other Defences Apart from the Air Force the Government is also considering other aspects- of the country's defences. Colonel F. Symon, Director of Artillery, has been in Australia discussing with the Commonwealth Government the question of supplying New Zealand's requirements in gun ammunition and military equipment, and Captain S. S. J. Duff, Adjutant of the Coast New Zealand Artillery Group, has been sent to England to receive a gunnery staff course. He will receive special training in coast defence, and medium, field, light, and anti-aircraft artillery. Captain Duff ds the first New Zealander to be sent Home since 1925-26 for similar training. Naturally a very important aspect of any defence scheme is that of fin-

ance, and it was largely owing to that factor that New Zealand curtailed her defence system and placed it on a voluntary basis. It is now felt, however, that the position is such that extra expenditure on defence is essential in order that New Zealand can play her part in the, general scheme of Empire defence. In other words, other factors than that of finance enter into the question. It is likely . that the full intentions of the Government will be revealed in the Bud- " get or the Defence estimates, and it can be taken for granted that the expenditure on defence will be heavier during the next finaneial year than it has .been since compulsory training was abolished.