DEFENCE SYSTEM.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 186, 8 August 1930, Page 5

DEFENCE SYSTEM.

SOME PROVISION NEEDED.

"SABRE RATTLING IN EUROPE"

MR. ENDEAN'S ADVOCACY.

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON", Thursday. "I think the question of defence has been handled by the Government in a very arbitrary fashion," declared Mr. W. P. En dean (Parnell) in the course of his Budget debate speech in the House to-day. He contended that while unnecessary expenditure should be avoided, adequate provision should be made for the defence of the country against any future Empire emergency. Mr. Endean said that even although there was a League of Nations and a Christian process of endeavouring to persuade the nations to disarm, the world was yet far from that stage of international security. Germany had built "pocket" battleships and possessed a huge commercial aviation fleet that could be turned loose as a destructive force in the event of war; France was rattling the sabre in Europe; Mussolini had Italy armed to the teeth; India was ready to burst into _ flame at any time; and the position in the North Pacific was so quiet that no one knew what would happen there. In times of security people did not allow their insurance policies to lapse, and he felt the policy of entirely abolishing the defence system was unsound. He agreed that expenditure should be kept down to the lowest point, and whereas savings might be affected on the administrative side, the tactical side should never be neglected, and the Government should see that the country was not left wanting in the event of emergency taking place.

In view of the state of the world, it would have been better for the Government to ascertain New Zealand's obligations to Great Britain and to bring out to the Dominion an expert to confer with local officers, with the object of devising some scheme that would at least provide some semblance of defence, available in the event of New Zealand's services being required by the Empire.