REDUCTION OF DEFENCE STAFF.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 41, 24 December 1920, Page 15

REDUCTION OF DEFENCE STAFF.

AN OFFICER'S SURVEY OF THE POSITION. Discussing the projected reduction of the Defence staff, a military officer in a responsible position said that the oificers were hardly being treated fairly by tHe Government. Not only were they not being paid proportionately so well as before the war, but they had been kept in suspense for 'months; not being given ari inkling as to whether they were going to be kept on or dispensed with. Since the war there had been a general cry for efficiency in all matters aifecting defence How wero they to get efficient work out of officers whose attention was diverted from their duties by a threat of dismissal 1 It could not be done. With every expert in the world saying that the next- ar,ena of war would be the Pacific, the Government had decided to cut down its military expenditure, because of the silly catch-cries of people who vap. oured about the evils of the "military caste," when it was plain that such a caste could not exist in a democratic atmosphere such as we had in New Zeaiand. If such people only read a little more, and had imagination, they would see trouble glaring at them. Taat New Zeaiand was not in a state of military preparedness was the fault of the drastic cut in defence expenditure, and now 50 per cent. of the officers did not know where they were, and were looking round for opportunrties outside the profession of arms. Despite the lesson of the late war, and the threat in . the Pacific, nothing was being done that should be done. One of the greatest advances in the art of defence and offence, as demonstrated in the war, was the efficiency of the war-'plane, either as a means of reconnoitring or destruction, but so far New Zeaiand had not even the beginning of an air force ; and another was the . use of submarines. New Zeaiand nad been given exceptional chances to equip herself in both respects, but nothing had been done, and the Dominion was left naked to whatever enemies might develop at any time. A good deal was heard of the National Defence Leaguej and it was doing good propaganda work, but at the hack of it there should be at the very least a solid basis of a practical defence force. Instead of that the basis was a trembling uncertain structure, which scarcely knew whether it was required in the scheme of things at all.