Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 1939. OUR NATIONAL DEFENCES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 January 1939, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 1939. OUR NATIONAL DEFENCES

.PURRENT events in Europe and elsewhere are likely to stimulate interest in the proposal to form a local branch of the New Zealand Defence League—a proposal which is to he laid before a public meeting called by the Mayor of Masterton (Mr T. Jordan) for Monday evening next, the overwhelming desire of the people of this country is for peace, but in existing■ circumstances it may be asked whether even tie most ardent advocate of peace and of the revival of the League of Nations can reasonably object at any rate to the broad aims of the New Zealand Defence League. Whatever may be thought of this or that detail of the policy of the Defence League, it may be asked also whether anything short of a resolute combined effort to strengthen the defences of the Dominion very considerably can be regarded as satisfying the demands of ordinary prudence.

We live in times in which innocent peoples and nations are being murderously attacked and subjugated by dictatorships animated bv insensate ambition and by a greed lor power and supremacy. 'The Prime Minister of Australia (Mr Lyons) has just told his countrymen that: —

Events in Europe and in the East have moved in a direction which may precipitate a world conflict with tragic suddenness. What Australians must realise is that these events vitally affect our country .... there have been vast changes in the world situation. These changes mean that the peace which Australia has enjoyed for 150 years is threatened.

This cannot, be called a. strained interpretation o£ European and world events or of their significance, and m the extent to which these changes affect Australia, they equally affect New Zealand. However sincerely we deplore the criminal waste of competition in armaments, it is clear that a terrible puce quite conceivably may have to be paid for failure to build up the most effective defence organisation of which we are capable.

Something has been said, on behalf of the Defence League, about the “deplorable state of the defence forces of New Zealand.” Talk of this kind is more likely to give rise to contention and bad feeling than to serve any good purpose Much of what has been undertaken towards the defence 01. the Dominion has been and is being done very well indeed. It should be easy to agree, however, that much more must, be done.

Until recently, it would have been difficult to obtain public support in this country lor anything more than very limited defence preparation. Any. attempt to go further was impeded alike by a general sense of security and by an equally general dislike of militarism. Even when this state of complacency had been disturbed, the opinion was widely prevalent for a time that what New Zealand needed was a limited but efficient organisation that would enable it to repel more or Jess powerfid raids. Reasons now appear for asking whether common sense and prudence do not demand that the Dominion should make whatever preparations are necessary to enable it to deal with possible attacks on a rather more serious scale. It is certainly desirable that these questions should be considered dispassionately by men and women throughout New Zealand.

Some items in the programme of the Defence League should win ready n approval. The proposal that the lerritoiial Force should be raised to a strength of not less than 20,000 men can hardly be called extravagant and the principle of equality of economic sacrifice in war time, affirmed by the league, undoubtedly is .just.

Much more contentious is the league’s proposal for the compulsory military training of all. youths on attaining the age of 18,' this to be followed by training in the Territorials for a period of four years. It is not by any means clear, however, that this question need be considered and dealt with separately. In the extent to which the Dominion is liable to be attacked on any scale more formidable than that of a fugitive raid, a case appears for organising, not merely our vouthfnl manhood, but 1 he whole population, by way of making what preparation is possible to deal, with a possible war emergenev. In modern war there is much arduous and some dangerous work which may very reasonably be assigned to men and even to women who are well beyond the stage of youth.

The possibility of participation in operations beyond our own shores, which may include co-operation with Australia, and the garrisoning of bases like that at Singapore, on which our national securitv largely depends, needs consideration, but the immediate question raised is that of the defence of New Zealand against, possible attack. If the people of the Dominion are prepared honestly and loyally to organise, to that end, it need not be supposed that our youthful manhood will fail to respond to any call made upon it. The call, if it comes, will not be made on youth alone.