NATIONAL DEFENCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 October 1938, Page 9

NATIONAL DEFENCE

NOT BEING NEGLECTED IN NEY/ ZEALAND ORDERS FOR MECHANISATION PLACED IN BRITAIN MINISTER’S EXTENDED SURVEY (By Telegraph—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, October 5. Statements that New Zealand has orders totalling about £250,000 placed in Great Britain for the mechanisation of its forces; that in addition to the 29 machines now in use by the Air Force, 50 more were being acquired; and that Great Britain was being asked for a further 200 machines for training work in the event of hostilities, were made by the Minister of Defence, the Hon F. Jones, today. The Minister was discussing preparations for the defence of New Zealand, in the event of hostilities, at a luncheon given in his honour by the Territorial Association of Otago, of which he is patron. Some of the information he gave was not of the type that could be broadcast, he said, but he hoped to indicate that an adequate defence machine was being constructed, and that excellent progress had been made in the past three years. There was an attendance of about 40 members at the luncheon, over which Dr R. Fulton presided. Mr Jones first referred to the thankfulness with which the advice of the satisfactory negotiation in the European crisis had been received. “It is to be hoped that we never again have to go through the experience of the past few weeks,” he said. “It is far better to sit round a table before hostilities begin than after lives have been sacrificed.”

He congratulated the association on the excellence of its work. It had sought the co-operation of employers and the response to that appeal had been very pleasing. “Defence is not a matter for party politics,” he said. “It is the concern of everybody and it is the duty of everybody to co-operate and forget party differences. That, I am pleased to say, is the case in New Zealand.” EMERGENCY MEASURES

Speaking of the progress of the past three years, he said the Government had established army and air boards and the Defence Council and the Naval Board had functioned regularly. The council, which included a representative of each of the three boards, received much confidential information from Great Britain. It was, of course, impossible to broadcast all of its activities, but Mr Jones spoke of the national security provisions, and explained how the machinery for emergency measures had been and was being prepared. An enormous amount of work had been done, he said, but the Labour Government did not wish to take credit for anything to which it was not entitled. The organisation for national security was established by the previous Government and the Labour Government had developed it, as no doubt any other Government would have endeavoured to develop it. Much work had been done also to provide protection against gas attacks, but it had not been thought necessary to provide everybody with a gas mask. The Government had relied upon expert 'advice in its defence provisions and it had been advised that its concern need really be only against sporadic raiders. It had accordingly acted on that advice, but if experts should at any time consider additional measures or a variation of the method desirable, other steps should be taken with the same thoroughness. STANDARDS OF TRAINING Better training for the army was being given now than had ever been provided before. In the training schools and camps the aim was to train leaders. In the last few years 3500 men had been posted to the reserve list, but' their services would be of value if the need for them should arise. This applied also to returned soldiers, and Mr Jones referred to coastal defence measures and rifle clubs. It would be possible to expand the land force quickly and easily. Some degree of mechanisation had Been accomplished. It was desired to do more in this direction, but Great Britain’s needs came first and New Zealand had to wait for fulfilment o -e. At present there were orders totalling about £250,000 placed in New Zealand was co-operating with Great Britain and Australia in training and he emphasised again that the need was for leaders. The force could be quickly expanded if the occasion were to arise. Many naval questions had been considered and this Government had carried on with the work started by the previous Government. Excellent progress had been made, for which statement there was supporting testimony from officers in the service and visiting experts. AIR FORCE PROGRESS Progress in the Air Force, too, had been excellent. Certainly New Zealand was using second-hand aircraft for training, but, in addition to the 29 new machines now in use, 50 more were being acquired, and Great Britain was being asked for a further 200 machines for training work in the event of hostilities. It was estimated that New Zealand could train 1000 pilots a year if required. Many of these machines had hardly been used, and they had the merit of being cheap. “Without going into details, I think I have said enough to show that New Zealand is making adequate preparations for defence in the event of hostilities,” Mr Jones concluded. “I have been very pleased with the measure of co-operation given by the officers and staffs in various services, and I think the men in the services are satisfied With the progress that has been made in the past three years.”