DEFENCE POLICY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 May 1938, Page 8

DEFENCE POLICY

ORGANISATION OF LAND FORCES MINISTER’S REPLY TO SENIOR OFFICERS. ACTION TAKEN NOT HELPFUL. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, May 24. In commenting on the manifesto issued by four senior officers of the New Zealand Territorial Force, the Minister of Defence (the Hon. F. Jones) said that there were certain facts relating to their action which should be made public. From the changes which were being made, it was evident to practically all Territorial officers that a scheme of reorganisation of the land forces had been adopted by the Government, “Realising that the fullest co-opera-tion of all members was essential for its success,” the Minister continued, “I instructed the Chief of the General Staff to take every opportunity of explaining the scheme to his officers and of inviting them to put forward suggestions that would tend to further improve the numerical strength and effi-' ciency of the Territorials. As a result, certain alterations were made, tending to greater efficiency, and other proposals for improvements are under consideration. On April ?3, the commanding officers of units located in Wellington at my invitation met me in my office to have a friendly chat on the question of the land forces, and they responded to my request to express their views frankly and candidly. The discussion which ensued was valuable and I expressed appreciation of their willingness to render every possible assistance to place the Territorials on a better footing. CO-OPERATION INVITED. “Knowing that a number of senior officers from various parts of the Dominion were attending an Army School at Trentham early in May, I asked the Chief of the General Staff to extend to them an invitation to meet me in my office. At the outset of the meeting, which was quite unofficial, I told them that my sole reason for inviting them along was for the purpose of hearing any helpful criticism they had to offer or any suggestions. I expressed the view that with their long experience and knowledge, they would no doubt have some good ideas, which if adopted would improve the efficiency of the forces, and I asked them to be quite candid. The point which I here wish to make is that the meeting was arranged, not at the request of the officers, /but at my invitation. I urged that, for the building up of the land forces, we should do as much as had been and was being done for the Air Force, and one aspect of the matter that was impressed upon .me was that if a statement were made showing that the Territorials were essential to the defence of New Zealand and that the Government was behind the land forces, such an action would do an enormous amount of good. AN INFORMAL MEETING. In addition to giving the officers an outline of what had been done, I also gave them particulars of other proposals which were being considered by the Government. I told them, too, that I would be making a public statement in regard to defence matters generally, but that I was not able just as that time to say definitely when or where it would be made In thanking them at the conclusion of the informal meeting, I told them I was anxious to secure and desired their fullest co-opera-tion, as well as that of everyone connected with the forces. On the morning immediately following this meeting one of these officers, speaking on behalf of the senior officers attending the course, asked the Chief of the General Staff to inform me that unless my statement was made within a fortnight, they would consider this as undue delay. I understand he replied that he could not convey such a message to me, as they had no right to dictate to the Minister when he should make a statement, but that he would inform me that they were anxious to know when the statement would be released. “As I had some months previously accepted invitations to deliver addresses at Whangarei and Dargaville, I took the opportunity at the latter place of speaking on the subject of defence, and made very full reference then to the land forces. In addition, I asked for the co-operation of all sections of the communuity in assisting the Government in its efforts to increase the strength of the Territorial Forces and bring them up to the highest state of efficiency. Seeing that a full report of my remarks was first published in the morning papers of May 18, and that the manifesto of the four senior officers was handed to the Press in Auckland and appeared in the issues of May 19, it is evident that it had been prepared and signed prior to my speech. This makes their action all the more regrettable, and instead of being helpful to the Territorial Forces as I had hoped, their attitude has been the .reverse."