WAR COUNCIL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 July 1940, Page 6

WAR COUNCIL

MANY RECOMMENDATIONS APPROVED SOME OF SECRET CHARACTER. PREMIER'S COMMENDATION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. The good work and very helpful recommendations of the War Council were referred to by the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) in an interview this morning. Many recommendations had been submitted to Cabinet, a number' of which were of a secret nature and could not be disclosed. Mr Fraser said. Some, however, were of public interest. All the recommendations had been approved by Cabinet and the necessary action to give effect to them had either been taken or was now in process of being taken. Cabinet approval had, for example, been given to a recommendation that wherever it was possible or desirable, New Zealand should supply to the United Kingdom any surplus clothing or other equipment locally produced for use in equipping United Kingdom forces. Another recommendation endorsed was that the fortress battalions should, if possible, do their final month of training in camp, and that any deficiency in numbers required for their battalions should be made up by accepting ex-Territorials. Should circumstances permit, it had been agreed that, following on the completion of a three months’ course, the future training programme of the Territorial Force should consist of one full day’s training per month, 14 days’ camp per annum and the firing of a prescribed musketry course. The formation of mounted rifle units for hillycountry operations was approved, and it was decided that reinforcements should be confined to married men, between the aged of 25 and 55 and single men between the ages of 45 and 55, preference being given to returned soldiers, ex-Territorials, members of rifle clubs and deer stalkers. Another recommendation that voluntary enlistment for the New Zealand naval forces should be allowed to continue for normal long service, as well as for other requirements which might be approved by the Minister of Defence, had also been agreed to. As a result of another recommendation the re-registration of all rifles and revolvers is to be immediately undertaken.

“The War Council is maintaining a a vigorous oversight of the national war effort,” said Mr Fraser, “and composed as it is of representatives of all sections of the community, it will, I am sure, continue to render very valuable service to the Dominion and to the Government.”