NEW ZEALAND DEFENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 138, 14 June 1938, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND DEFENCE.

NUMBERS AND EQUIPMENT.

(To the Editor.)

I have read with interest Viscount Rotliermore's statement with regard to the vulnerability of Mew Zealand to attack and also Mr. Savage's impetuous reply that Lord Rotliermere°sho«l<l mini his own business. I regret that one who, in private conversation, is the essence of courtesy, should so far have forgotten his good manners. It is surely the business of Viscount Rothermere, and.of every British statesman throughout, tlie Empire, to have regard to the defence of every portion of the Empire. Apart from the principles of blood 4«nd race, and the British system of civilisation and democracy, which all are anxious to preserve, there are the further practical reasons that Great Britain depends to a lar«e extent on New • Zealand for it 3 food supply, and has a large amount of capital invested in this country. But worse even than tiic rudeness of Sir. Savage's reply is the fact that his further statement that "New Zealand's defencc was in a better position to-day than it ever had been," is quite incorrect. I am informed from a reliable source that the reorganisation of the territorial forces, which was introduced last year, was in effect a reduction of the establishment to one-third of it 3 previous strength. Xew Zealand was previously on a divisional basis, and is now on a iiri-.ide basis. Not only has the establishment bel-n reduced, but on 'the average the units arc 50 per cent below strength. I am informed that the total number of men that the Army Department would term "efficient" is about 3000 men for the whole of Xew Zea-. land. I understand that the absolute minimum of properly trained and fully equipped men, suggested by the . Imperial authorities, is fIOOO. The equipment of our Xew Zealand forccs also appears to be inadequate and out-of-date. There are no tanks, no armoured_cars, no Bren machine guns, and only four antiaircraft guns, for the defence of the whole of Xew Zealand. I have also been informed that the present system is costing as much as the old compulsory system, and getting not onetenth of the results. These are very serious and disturbing matters, and it is time that the people of Xew Zealand should know the exact .position. The people are quite tired of the plausible and general statements of politicians, and I would ask the Prime Minister, as president of the Defence Council, to permit a. responsible military officer to deny the statements which I have made, if they are incorrect, and to explain' the exact position. Ido not agree with the argument referred to by Viscount Rothermere, that a Parliamentary democracy cannot arm. I do not think ho believes it either. Britain herself, France, tlio United States and South Africa arc attending to their defence in a businesslike way, and Xew Zealand, if it knew the state of its defences, would insist "on having our defenco forces put on a proper basis. At the present time a very small raiding party of two or three thousand men could overrun the whole country. Our men'would be brave enough and would fight, but being unarmed and untrained would be merely sheep to the wolves. Something should be done about it at once. / T. J. FLEMING. ,