DEFENCE FORCES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 August 1939, Page 4

DEFENCE FORCES

WELL OVER 40,000 MEN AVAILABLE IN EVENT OF EMERGENCY. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. (By Telegrapn—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. In event of an emergency, New Zealand could muster to its defence considerably more than. 40,000 men, apart, from the regular army, navy and air force personnel, according to figures given by the Minister of Defence, Mr Jones, during the financial debate in the House of Representatives yesterday. Mr Jones added that recruiting was continuing all the time, and would be continued till the units that were at present not filled were brought up to the required strength. In the Territorial Force, said Mr Jones, there were 16,557 men, in the reserve 13.745, in the rifle clubs about 5000. and in the Air Force reserve another 5000, a total of more than 40,000. Those figures did not include the regular army, navy, or air force, or a number of other men who would be available for defence if the need arose.

Mr Jones said that recently members of the air force reserve in the North Island had been interviewed so that their qualifications as tradesmen could be ascertained. A total of 1624 men been interviewed, and it was probable that a similar number would be seen in the South Island during the next few weeks. These men, most of them tradesmen, would not be called up except in an emergency, but by testing them now the authorities would know if the time came just where to lay their hands on qualified men.