DEFENCE PLANS

Taranaki Daily News, 30 September 1940, Page 8

DEFENCE PLANS

By Telegraph—Press Association.

commonwealth visit new zealand chiefs closer co-operation

Auckland, Last Night. Well satisfied with the result of their mission, Major-General Sir John Duigan, Chief of the General Staff, and Group-Captairi H. W. L. Saunders, Chief of the Air Staff, returned from a brief visit to Australia by the flying-boat Awarua to-day. The object of their visit was to nromote closer co-operation in the war effort. Both spoke gratefully of the ready helpfulness of all with whom they had been associated in Australia. "The visit will lead to closer co-opera-tion in our plans and in every other way," said Sir John. "We found everyone most hospitable and helpful from the Governor-General, Lord Gowrie, downwards and they could not do enough for us." New Zealanders at Duntroon. Sir John spent a considerable part of his time at army headquarters at Melbourne in discussions with the general staff and he also visited Duntroon Military College, where he found that 16 New Zealand boys were doing very well and had won a good name fbr themselves. Sir John found the Australian authorities very wide awake to the needs of the present situation and most eager for co-operation with New Zealand. A great many of them were commenting on the grand effort New Zealand is making and so we are." said Sir John. Group-Captain Saunders feels that contacts he made with the Australian air force authorities will certainly be most helpful. They had a big Empire air training scheme in force there, he said, and he visited a number of the larger stations. "There are a lot of things we can learn from them and some, perhaps, tney could learn from us," he said. "Their aircraft industry appears to be expanding rapidly. We had useful discussions on° details" of co-operation. The visit has been a great succes sand I hope some of their representatives will be able to return it." Sir John and Group-Captain Saunders returned to Wellington by train tonight and will present their reports to the War Cabinet at an early opportunity.