OUR ARMED FORCES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 March 1943, Page 3

OUR ARMED FORCES

IN THE MIDDLE EAST & PACIFIC PREMIER SUMS UP IN MANPOWER DEBATE IN HOUSE. POLICY FOR NEXT TWELVE MONTHS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The role of the New Zealand Division in the Middle East and of the force in the Pacific was discussed by the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, in winding up the debate on manpower in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon. Mr Fraser, who spoke for an hour and 40 minutes, said that the House had decided that the future of the Middle East Division would be determined at the appropriate time, and that the Dominion must assume a fair share of responsibility in the Pacific. He claimed that the Opposition had not shaken the proposals for the redistribution of manpower. After’ reviewing at some length the present position in Australia, Mr Fraser said that we in New Zealand were considering some relaxation of the armed forces. Mr Curtin had said that there would be no let-up in Australia. LONG STRUGGLE AHEAD. In the Pacific a very long, stern and weary struggle lay ahead, the Prime Minister went on to observe. Occasionally there would be spectacular victories, but not so sweeping in their results as victories elsewhere in different circumstances. Both the Wai’ Cabinet and the Government felt, however, that they should reconsider the manpower position and make certain readjustments. Yet when plans of that description were being made it was well for the House to refresh its mind concerning what it was pledged to do. It was not a blank cheque, but the country had pledged itself not merely to the defence of the Pacific. If anyone thought that the defence of the country should be confined to its own shores the sooner he disabused his mind of it the better. Some members had once accused the Government of not doing enough and then accused it of doing too much. He wished to emphasise that Parliament every year had renewed its pledge to employ the whole of its resources against first the power of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy and then subsequently against Japan. New Zealand was as much in the war before Japan entered it as af' ter. DEFENCE OF DOMINION. Mr Fraser said the War Cabinet had considered, among other proposals, reverting to the territorial system, but came to the conclusion that though the situation was somewhat easier the territorial basis was inadequate. _ A scheme was wanted which would give greater security and the proposal was to maintain a force which would permit rapid mobilisation should this prove necessary of trained men who had been returned to industry. . It had been possible to consider reducing the Army within the Dominion on the lines indicated because men had been sent into the Pacific. In going there the New Zealanders had been able to relieve a whole division of others and had been able to make a vital contribution to the war in the Pacific. PACIFIC REINFORCEMENTS. Reinforcements in the Pacific, Mr Fraser said, had been based on the American experience of the actual conflict with allowance made for casualties from all causes. The replacement figures estimated by the authorities in New Zealand were higher than the American experience, and the figures were consequently adjusted. Foul months or possibly three was the period for which men could be retained in the Solomons, but they could be moved on elsewhere. There was no malaria in New Caledonia. Just as American troops, after fighting in the Solomons, had come back to New Zealand, and some to Australia, so New Zealand troops would have to come back to the Dominion if they were for several months in the combatant zone. Mr Langstone (Government, Waimarino): “If the war continues two or three years can we keep up the pace?” The Prime Minister: “No, we cannot. That is the whole point ” “However long we maintain the division in the Middle East we cannot neglect our front trenches, and it is overwhelmingly important that New Zealand should shoulder its share of holding the gateway of the Pacific,” said the Prime Minister. “At the same time, ; it is unthinkable that we should not ‘ maintain our fine men in the Middle East, Thanks to American successes • in the Solomons and General MacAr- ! thur’s successes in the Bismarck Sea, we have an opportunity to readjust ■ matters here.” I SHORTAGES & RATIONING. Referring to complaints by some 1 people of shortages of this and that ; commodity, Mr Fraser said we might ; be approaching a phase of the war effort when there would be less of the > commodities now in abundance and ■ rationing of them would be necessary. ; A good many ships might be sunk bef fore the U-boat menace was defeated . and cargoes lost after leaving these ■ shores. “The struggle in‘the future may be hard,” Mr Fraser continued. “As far as individuals are concerned it may be harder than in the past. It would be wrong for the people of this country to get the idea that the period of sacrifice and endurance is over. It is not. I wish it was, but up to the present moment I cannot say that it is.” THE HOME GUARD. ' The Home Guard, said Mr Fraser, ' had done a great job. It was looked ! upon as an integral part of the country’s defence. The members of the ! Guard were doing eight hours’ training ' a month now and they would probably be asked to do 16, which was a fair quota of training. In same cases they had come extraordinary distances to i drill, and he did not think that the ' strain should be placed on them now. 5 A denial that there were 40,000 3 single men in industry as stated by some Opposition speakers was given J by the Prime Minister He said it was f true that 40,000 were left in industry, 3 but 27J000 of them were married and J 13,000 were single. He was informed

that the single men were all doing essential work. z Mr Polson: “Are they A grade men?” Mr Fraser: “Yes, all of them.” “The point 1 set out to try to establish,” said the Prime Minister, “is that Parliament has decided about the Middle East division and that we will reconsider its future at the appropriate time. Also the House is agreed that we must assume our fair share of responsibility in the Pacific and that we must not shirk it but do our best. We believe that the plan before members can be fulfilled for the next twelve months. That has not been shaken in any degree whatsoever. In the absence of any motion to the contrary I must assume that the House is satisfied.” Concluding, the Prime Minister thanked the House for its consideration of the proposals and reminded members that these could be reconsidered at any time deemed advisable.