DEFENCE ISSUES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 June 1938, Page 9

DEFENCE ISSUES

POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT DEFENDED

ADDRESS BY MR J. A. LEE

NO NEED FOR STUPENDOUS LOCAL FORCE

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) PALMERSTON NORTH, June 8.

The Government’s defence policy was defended by the Parliamentary Undersecretary in Charge of Housing, Mr J. A. Lee, in an address at Palmerston North tonight. He said there was no need in New Zealand for a stupendous local force. There was need for greater skill in the personnel rather than for a greater personnel.

Mr Lee said that one’s attitude to defence necessarily changed with the circumstances of the world. Only a militarist favoured huge defensive organisation when there were no threats to world peace. But during the last few years the world had been slipping inevitably to war. Thus, while complete disarmament was a sane policy immediately following the last war and, indeed, the refusal of the victor nations to disarm anyone except the vanquished was one of the causes of the downfall of the League of Nations, no one could deny that democrary had to be protected today. No one would deny that democracy was conditioned by militarism, that external threats compelled the acceptance of military liabilities that tended to lessen even civil liberty; but the alternative to Fascist victory was too awful to contemplate. EXPERTS FROM BRITAIN.

The Leader of the Opposition, the Hon A. Hamilton, had stated that we should secure someone from Britain to completely reorganise our defence forces. Mr Lee said he disagreed emphatically with Mr Hamilton’s attitude. The Labour Government had found no Air Force in New Zealand, and it had been necessary to secure assistance from Great Britain. In Group Captain the Hon R. A. Cochrane the people of New Zealand had been splendidly served. In regard to naval defence, there was always in New Zealand a Naval Secretary, and in Paymaster-Commander E. L. Tottenham again the people of New Zealand were being magnificently served. But as far as land forces were concerned it had to be remembered that the record of the New Zealand Division was second to none of those engaged during the Great War. NEW ZEALAND SENTIMENT A defence unit was more than a matter of equipment. Mr Hamilton evidently did not appreciate that the New Zealand Division during the war was not only a military unit but a psychological unit. There were ties of sentiment and of nationhood binding the New Zealanders together and lending cohesion to the New Zealand Division. While much of technical value could be gained by bringing to New Zealand on loan officers who had some knowledge of modern military equipment, it should be a fundamental of the New Zealand Defence Force that it should be officered and developed from the New Zealand soil. There were outstanding New Zealanders who only wanted contact with the latest military appliances. If Mr Hamilton would take a referendum of’returned soldiers as to whether they preferred the New Zealand Division or Army to be organised by a British officer or by a man sprung from New Zealand conditions, or,. like General Richardson, with a long experience of New Zealand conditions, the answer would be overwhelming in favour of the New Zealander. There was no need in New Zealand for a stupendous local force. Probably the best expeditionary force New Zealand could dispatch would be an air force. There was need for greater skill in the personnel rather than for a greater personnel. To secure the necessary recruits the country had to be prepared to pay what the volunteer sacrificed financially by attending camp. The volunteer was as worthy of his hire as the person performing any. other task in the community, and once this fact was recognised recruits would be forthcoming. WAR TRADITIONS As far as possible, the development of a force should be associated with the sentiment that was attached to the New Zealand Division. Probably some breaks had to be made with tradition, but it would be good if the survivors of the 100,000 soldiers and their families appreciated that the units being created in each area were merely a continuation of units which had emerged with credit from the fire. It could not be reiterated too much that it was more important that a small but sufficient proportion of our community should have quality of -training rather than that a very large number should merely have the pretence of training. No person advanced a suggestion that New Zeland was likely to be more than raided. New Zealand officers and New Zealand men were good enough to organise and reorganise the New Zealand forces, and if they lacked experience in the most modern equipment, better to send them to acquire that experience than to bring to New Zealand an officer who had the technical experience, but no association with the country itself. It was well to remember that the New Zealanders in France had a warmer affection for General Russell than for other commanders imposed upon them from outside. It was erroneous to consider the defence vote only as expenditure under the heading of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, concluded Mr Lee. The improved economic conditions brought about by the Government of New Zealand, the steep increase in the marriage rate and in the birth rate, and the turn of the tide so that population was flowing back into New Zealand instead of away from New Zealand —all these were good for defence. The development of the iron and steel industry was a necessary factor in defence. Free medical care and attention and increased recreation would

play an important part. Dental treatment in schools and the milk ration in all schools were important. All these were developing the greatest defensive asset —man-power. The attendance as the meeting was about 15000, and Mr Lee was given an attentive hearing, punctuated by bursts of applause. At the conclusion of his address, in the course of which he described Labour's “magnificent political record standing on a solid foundation of achievement,” he was accorded a unanimous vote of confidence. The meeting also expressed its entire allegiance to the Labour Party.