CIVIL DEFENCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 March 1943, Page 3

CIVIL DEFENCE

VIEW OF BRITISH ADVISER. MAINTAINANCE OF NEW ZEALAND SERVICE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, March 24. • Having completed a seven weeks’ toui of Australia, during which, at the invitation of the Commonwealth Department of Home Security, he discussed technical matters with the civil defence authorities in various parts of the Commonwealth, Mr C. W. Hamann, deputy chief engineer of the British Ministry of Home Security and technical adviser to the New Zealand Minister of Civil Defence, has returned to the Dominion. Mr. Hamann said the Australian civil defence organisations had in general tackled their problems very seriously and rationally. Their personnel showed keenness and had achieved a good standard of efficiency. Speaking of the position in New Zealand, Mr Hamann said his work here had practically been completed He wished to take the opportunity of saying that, though the danger.of an air attack appeared to be receding, and though there had been a relaxation of certain precautionary measures, arrangements had been made whereby the civil defence machinery could at once be put into operation. “But the efficiency of the service cannot be got simply by touching a switch,” he added. “It can only be maintained by the people themselves. Japan has shown that she can send aircraft for great distances, and though there is no likelihood of blitzes on the British scale, still one plane can do a I lot of damage. Therefore it is impera- | tive to maintain the skill of the emergency services. I do not want to seem scary, but this is in my opinion the reasonable attitude to adopt.”