AIR MINISTRY MISSION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 January 1939, Page 7

AIR MINISTRY MISSION

STATEMENT BY PREMIER. BUILDING UP THE AIR FORCE. (By Telegraph—Press Association I WELLINGTON. This Day. The British Air Ministry announcement that, in accordance with the wishes of the New Zealand Government, the air mission which is going to Australia next month will proceed to New Zealand on the conclusion of its Australian visit to discuss with the Government die possibility of the manufacture of aircraft in the Dominion, was referred to by the Prime Minister. Mr Savage, in an interview last evening.

The Government's job, Mr Savage said, was to make the best possible use of the occasion and obtain all the advice it could to see what further steps could be taken to enable New Zealand to stand on her own feet in the event of the country being isolated during a world war. The Prime Minister said the Chief of the Air Stall. Group Captain the Hon R. A. Cochrane, was entitled to most of the credit for the organisation of the Royal Now Zealand Air Force, which had been put into effect during the lust two or three years. “I think that remarkable progress has been made, because we did start off from scratch.” Mr Savage said. “There is a very high degree of efficiency in the force already."

The Minister in Charge of Aviation. Mr Jones, said yesterday that, as the air mission would arrive in Australia about the middle of March, it would probably arrive in New Zealand about ‘he end of that month. If the Government could obtain particulars ol the information required by the mission this would be ready before it arrived in the Dominion.