OVERSEAS SERVICE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 123, 6 March 1941, Page 9

OVERSEAS SERVICE

MORE THAN IN LAST WAR. STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. (P.A.) AUCKLAND, March 5. “New Zealand will he sending more men overseas than it did in the last ivar,” said the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser), in an interview at the conclusion of his Auckland visit. He said that the Dominion must also maintain the defence forces at home on a scale which was not necessary in 1914-18, when it could count on the protection of the Japanese Navy. “We have 25 per cent, more men of military age to-day than we had in the last war, and we shall need them all in some capacity,” added Mr Fraser. “We are getting a higher percentage of fit men than we did from the ballots in the last war. The percentage passed as Grade A from the ballots in 1914-18 was 34.4 per cent. To-day, in the first three ballots for Territorials, for which the test is substantially the same as for overseas service, 56.8 per cent, passed as Grade A.” It had to he remembered that not every fit man was available, as tlie Government had to consider the needs of the essential industrial life of the country. A proportion of fit men had to bo held hack until they could he replaced. The Government had given a great deal of consideration to the importance of freeing postponed men as soon as possible. “For the first 18 months of the war, it is estimated, that Now Zealand’s war expenses will have amounted to about £40,000,000,” continued Mr Fraser, lie compared this with the first 18 months of the last war, when the war expenses totalled £8,000,000. Of the current year’s war costs, up to the end of March, £17,500,000 was to be incurred locally, and £20,000,000 overseas. The Government’s policy was to raise as much as possible of internal expenditure by taxation, and it expected to obtain £14,750,000 by this means. Expenditure on Home Guard. It was also borrowing by compulsory loan and taking measures to avoid inflation. So far, the compulsory loan had brought in £9,126,000, and in four months £1,000,000 had been subscribed to the National Savings Accounts by 100,000 small contributors. Every man who went overseas with the Armv was costing the Dominion £7OO to‘equip find. £7 5s weekly to maintain.

After careful consideration the Government had come to the decision that it would be responsible for all expenditure on the Home Guard, down to and including area headquarters. Local bodies would be responsible for all. expenditure connected with recruiting and other expenses incurred by units below that of area headquarters. Consideration was now being given to the payment of capitation grants of Is a head quarterly for every active member of the Home Guard. Local governing authorities had been of great assistance in organising the Home Guard and the Emergency Precautions Scheme, said Mr Fraser. The Home Guard had developed very satisfactorily. In the short space of. six months a Dominion-wide organisation had been set up® arid nearly 70,000 men enrolled. The Government fully acknowledged and appreciated the important part played by local bodies in building up that organisation. The scheme had started from nothing, and there was no precedent to follow, and no opportunity to draw upon the experience of Great Britain. They could only learn by their cwn experience, and perfect the organisation as they went along. Local bodies had set up hundreds of Homo Guard committees to carry on recruiting and give general assistance. Overseas conditions had caused a shortage of rifles, but tho Army had made a considerable number available, and his recent appeal for serviceable rifles should bring in many thousand more. Other equipment had to be improvised by members of the Guard themselves. The Government had undertaken to provide uniforms as they became available. Part of tho costs of the guard was a charge on local bodies, a principle which had been agreed upon when the regulations forming the guard were framed. Empire Air Scheme. “Training u infer the Empire air scheme has now reached top gear,” said Mr .Fraser. He expressed pride in .the record of New Zealand airmen serving with the Royal Air Force. A total of 74 Dominion airmen had leceived decorations. New Zealand, lie added, was able to reach the maximum output under the Empire scheme because of the comprehensive framework for expansion which was s a t up long before the war. Pre-war schemes for building up the force enabled the Government to take the tremeiHods expansion of the Empire scheme in its stride. There had been nearly 23.0UC applications in New Zealand to join the Air Force; but many men became impatient as a ,result of' waitin- to be admitted, and joined the Expeditionary Force. Altogether, some thousands of pilots, observers, and air gunners from New Zealand were being trained this year, in addition to a considerable number of mechanics and technicians. A recruiting campaign to ensure. a continued adequate flow* of volunteers into the Air Force would be launched shortly, concluded Mr Fraser, who added that many willing to join up were probably not aware that there wore vacancies for them. THE SECOND BALLOT NINETEEN THOUSAND MEN (DRAWN (P.A.) WELLINGTON, March 5. Some details about tho ballot for overseas service which was held on February 13 and 14, and the result of which appeared in a Gazette extraordinary yesterday, Were given by tho Minister for National Service (the

(Hon. R. Semple) to-night. The to.tal number of men drawn was 19,000, distributed as follows :—Auckland, 2984; Paeroa, 1104; Whangarei, 65&; Hamilton, 1228; Wellington, 2572; Wanganui, 1282; Napier, 1522; New Plymouth, 838; Nelson, 1320; Christchurch, 2760; Dunedin, 1402; Invercargill. 1340. Of the men called up, 1113 are volunteer members of the territorial forces, and 8047 were previously drawn in a territorial ballot. The Minister gave a reminder that appeals must be lodged within 10 days of the date of the Gazette. A