N.Z. NAVAL DEFENCE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 30, 6 February 1939, Page 8

N . Z. NAVAL DEFENCE

NEW PROGRAMME PLANNED

MINISTER REPLIES TO EARL BEATTY

RESPONSIBILITIES REALISED BY GOVERNMENT

[ Per Press Association.] WELLINGTON, Feb. 3. Assurance that the Government realised its responsibilities and the position the world was in to-day, and knew that the navy must keep the trade routes open, was given by the Minister of Defence, Hon. F. Jones, \when referring briefly to the Government’s defence programme at a meeting addressed by Earl Beatty, chairman of the London executive of the Navy League, to-night. Earl Beatty, Mr. Jones said, could go back to the Old Country with the message that New Zealand would do its share in any crisis that might arise. The Minister, on behalf of the Government, extended a warm welcome to Earl and Countess Beatty to New Zealand and expressed the hope that they would come back again. ' During the last three years a

great deal has been done in connection with the development of oui naval forces. I can assure you,” he said to Earl Beatty, “that we are not finished yet. We realise that development has got to go on and we have just recently approved of a furthei programme in connection with the defence forces of the Dominion. Naval defence takes its share in that programme,” Mr. Jones said. The Government trusted that another crisis never would arise but it realised the importance of the British Navy and so far as New Zealand defence was concerned it would play its part. Earl Beatty said he was much encouraged by what he had just heard from the Minister. "I hope that nothing 1 say will offend you.” he said, "but believe mu when 1 say that anything that falls from my bps is in a sincere wish to nelp you in the great task that lies before you. I should like to congratulate the Government of NewZealand on what it has done recently lin regard to the defence forces. 1 fully realise the Minister of Defence has a difficult task in front of him but with this congratulation I should pike to add the caution that I feel phere is much more to be done and that to be done rapidly. ; "In these fast-moving days speed is the essence of everything and I believe that it is the responsibility of the Government in these unsettled times to see that security .shall come first in its programme." In spite of the great, programme of rearmament England still had a long way to go before she had a safe security. Its objective was to return to what was called a two-power standard. It had a battlefleet al homa for the protection of home I waters and one in the Far East baseu at Singapore for the protection of the 'Dominions and Colonies in that part of the world. By 1942 England might be able to spare two or more divisions iof her battleships to be based at (Singapore but that, he thought was (hardly sufficient if the nations should ibe plunged into war by the totaliJtarian States and any potential I enemy in the Far East. I In 1937-38 the amount of money ' spent for defence services, both out ol revenue and loan money in England ■ was, in New Zealand money £348,000,000, roughly £7 15s a head, in New Zealand the amount, spent wa/ £1,604,000, roughly £l. a head. The estimate for 1938-39 was that Brilair 'should spend £9 10s a head in defence lout of revenue and taxes, whereas New Zealand would pay £1 5s a head. When one considered that the overseas trade of New Zealand, carried in iNew Zealand ships, was worth £123,- ! 000,000 a year and that there were [only one cruiser and two sloops to protect that trade was it any wonder that he had remarked on tne weakness of New Zealand.