DOMINION’S PART

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21362, 5 March 1941, Page 7

DOMINION’S PART

MEN ALREADY OVERSEAS OVER 30,000 NOW SERVING (By Telegraph.—Special to Times) AUCKLAND, Wednesday Speaking of the Pacific situation as affecting New Zealand, the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, at the conference of the Municipal Association yesterday, gave information of the extent of the Dominion’s war activities up to the present. He gave details of the Expeditionary Force, stating that well over 30,000 men had gone overseas with the army, naval and air forces. In regard to home defence, the Prime Minister said that when the Permanent Force, the Expeclitionaiy Force in training, the Territorial Force, the National Military Reserve and the Home Guard, when it was suitably trained and armed, were included there would be considerably over 100,000 men to defend our shores. In a national emergency the Home Guard would be incorporated as a part of the defence forces. Output Expanding If we took into account all those giving service in one form or another, including those enrolled in the Emergency Precautions Scheme and the Women’s War Service Auxiliary already a very large proportion of the adult population of New Zealand was actively engaged in national war service. At the beginning of the war there were 1000 New Zealanders serving in the Navy; today, the number was over 3000, apart from British personnel serving in New Zealand naval forces. A total of 600 new ratings would be required annually at the’ new training station known as H.M.S. Tamaki. Reviewing the progress in munitions production, the Prime Minister said the railway workshops and many privately owned shops and factories were well suited for the manufacture of certain arms and munitions. The output was expanding rapidly and would continue until the full resources of plant and manpower were utilised.