GOD Defend NEW ZEALAND

Radio Record, 20 May 1938, Page 9

GOD Defend NEW ZEALAND

DO WE NEED THE GAS DECONTAMINATOR MEN?

Told By

WILL

GRAVE

D O we sing "God Defend New Zealand" and leave it at that, hoping for the best? Do we expect too much imsurance from our anthem and our premium of isolation? Dr. Tr. Wansey Bayly, visitor from Harley Street, and keen student of modern problems of defence, makes same and reasonable suggestions in this interview for "Record" readers.

E in New Zealand have been so far removed from the theatres of war in the past that it comes as a distinct shock when one

learns, as I did last week, of the plans the ordinary citizel, are making against attacks from the air in cities like London, Paris and Berlin. Not Pleasant It Was not pleasant to learn of the fact that a Londoner, one among thousands of others in these days, had turned the passage hall of his flat, after four days’ intensive work, into a completely equipped gas-proof shelter. He was proud of the work. It was a convenient joh and 2

neat job. And it had cost him altogether £38 12/-. VYVOREOVER M he had furuished his shelter yery completely. He had fixed up emergency lighting, nid had stored food in tins. He had made sanitary ar rungements, tie eluding a bucket in case of neryous. sickness. Tie had not neglected to have an airtight container for water, and something to drink out of, What elise? Well, he had

stored something to keep him and his family amused ~-books cards, 2 gramophone. Good _ Lord! ‘These English, whe need something t> keep them amused.

One would have thought an air raid would have been suiiicient to alleviate any boredom. Raising the Doubt UT it is this careful planning~-these arraugements tor simple domestic things like food in tins and the bucket for nervous sickness-that make one just a little doubtful. every now and then, whether New Zealand is not placing too much reliance on its premium of isolation. Does it give us sufficient insurance? There is one man who thinks it does not. He is Dr. Hi.

Wansey bayly, M.C., Harley Street specialist, who was acting as ship’s surgeon to the Rangitane, which sailed from New Zealand for Enzland last week. VER since the war days, he has been a keen student of defence. Before he left New Zeaejand he made two recorded talks for the NBS on the subject, to be heard later by listeners to National stations. He sees "ittle need for bombproof shelters in New Zealand. The countryside

GOD DEFEND NEW ZEALAND

is su close to the towns, he says, that the population could easily disperse into the open. New Zealand has not the problem of massed populations, But he does see urgent need for anti-aireraft defenees at vital points and for reserve fire-fighting organisations to control outbreaks caused by incendiary bombs, "YOUR greatest. menace," he said "is the incendiary bomb. Thermite bombs weigh only two pounds, yet the damage they can do by causing fire is tremendous. Water won’t extinguish them. With al your wooden houses, you «re specially vulnerable to them, His Credentials "PRRHAPS you would like to know iny credentials?" he said. During tbe. war le served with both the Navy and Army. In the Navy he was in the Princess Royal in two naval actions; then he exchanged into the Army, in the Virst Scots. Guards. Next Le became M.O. to the Brigade of Army: Field Artillety, whieh, at the second battle of Bupaume, was attached to the New Zealand Division, [fe finished his war career in ¢omumand of a field ambulance ' After demobilisation .ke.became President of the Fx: servicemen’s National Movement and joint secretary of the conunittee of ex-servicemen. He fought for pensions for individual soldiers and is proud of the fact that be was called the greatest thorn in the side of the Ministry of Pensious. For many years he has been writing and speaking to rouse people to the air menace, and at the preseut time he is completing a book on Air Defence. "\YWHEN I came out to New Zealand," he told me, "1 began looking for your air defences. I believe that the experiences in Spain and China have proved that ground defence is most useful against air attacks. "When towns ee a ee ee

Mave Mau ally tiliii,, like a good ground defence, it his meant planes have had to fly so bigh that it has been ouly a matter of chance whether they have — hit their targets or not." ‘THOUGH in the old days a strong British Fleet at Home was a_ sufficient guarantee of safety for Austravy: mam neti @BPaaw, Fa.

4240 GQ@SAU ANDY 4aUa"™ land, now nothing could prevent a few cruisers frow sailing south carrying half a dozen planes or so and releasing them from a bundred miles away to attack New Zealand cities. That meant.that Australia and New Zealand should have their local defence. Local defence meant fighting aireruft and ground defence. Ground defence could be either active or passive. Active defence was anti-aircraft guns, Vassive defence was underground shelters, story of oil, and services for fire ighting and decontaminating after gas attacks, "YY OULD sueh a need be likely to arise in New Zealand?" I asked. "Te could arise," he said, "quite couceivably." Lately, in the British House of Commons, Mr, Neville Chamberlain had dealt with the problems of defence in order of importance. He pointed out that the first job would be the defence of Britain: the second, the defence of the trade routes; the third, defenee of British territories overseas, the naval bases nud strategic points; and -the fourth, co- operation with Britain: s allies in defence of their territories, ¢ !

"No special mention Was made of the Dominions,’ says Dr. Bayly, "but they are indepeudent States and not possessions. Clearly they come under the heading of allies." That means that the Dominions, in a moment of crisis, might

have temporarily to look after their home defence. TAWO important questions haye affected the basis of defence in these fimes. The first is the supply of food and fuel, and their defence in war; and the second is the relation cf missile to target, a relation entirely altered, through the use of air-

craft. Britain had substituted off fuel for coal, an] if the long chain service of tankers bringing Chis vital fuel to Britain Was interrupted even for a week, there would be great risk thar her fleet, her air forees and her army Would be immobiised, qv Was the same for New Zealand, but New Zealand was ~ Incky in having oil fields. It was to her advantage to develop her oil for ker own needs. In the question of missile and target, in warfare the eternal problem was to bring the missile to the target, Today the gun seemed to be passing as the best weapon for the discharge of missiles, largely because of cost, The super-capital ship pow cost £10,000,000, for which sum 1000 planes could be made. capable of carrying their missiles twenty times the distance of the shells from any naval gun. The development of the fleet air arm bas brought almost any target within reach of the enemy. It has brought closer to them the targets of a nation’s vital aerodromes, factories, engineering shops, docks or shipping. (Contd. on page 45).

DR. BAYLY SAYS .. . IEW ZEALAND must be-prepared to meet sporadic raids. ' She ought to have an adequate territorial service able to man an adequate number of anti-circraft gums at the big towns. She should have an adequate number of small cruisers, equipped with anti-aircraft batteries, to patrol her coast line. She should make special provision for fire-fighting forces to deal with the menace of incendiary bombs. The most important place for batteries is where she has her petrol stores, so that enemy circraft shall be unable to fly low enough to bring its missiles to the target.

God Defend N.Z.

(Continued from page 10). FOR a long time it was difficult to get ’ the conservative services to realise that aircraft were making the gun obsolescent, It was not realised until later that the plane was the most effective weapon for bringing the missile to the target. In the next war, says Dr. Bayly, things will be different. The navy will be still needed, but many ships will have taken wings, More and more, ships will carry planes and bombs rather than immense cannon. PHIS, then, is the danger to New Zealand. In a moment of crisis, there is nothing to preyent ships launching their aircraft far -off the coast and playing havoe with New Zealand’s cities and oil supplies, unless they can be adequately protected. "What might such a moment of erisis be?" I asked. . IX don’t know," said Dr. Bayly, "what agreement Germany and Italy have with Japan. But it may be a military agreement that would encourage Japan to attack British possessions in the Pacific while Britain had her hands full at home." It would not be possible to prevent raiders from circling Singapore and coming south. For this reason it is essential that New Zealand should make preparations for some form of local defence until Britain’s hands are free at home to send assistance,