WIDE FIELD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 128, 2 June 1939, Page 10

WIDE FIELD.

WAR ORGANISATION.

GOVERNMENT PROGRESS. MAKY COMMITTEES ACTIVE. (By Telegraph—frees Association.) CHRISTCHURCH. Thursday. A further statement on the steps already taken or now being taken by the Government to prepare the Dominion against war contingencies was made by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, tliie. evening. 'It seems to Bie." said Mr. Savage, "that the time is now appropriate <o let the public know, as far as this can be done without the disclosure of necessarily secret matters, exactly what we have done and what we are doinjr. I have already spoken of what has been done by and for the armed services, but the public will realise that the provision of an adequate navy, army and air force is only one of many steps that have to be taken to prepare a country for war.

"The organisation of civil departments and the co-ordination of this work with that of the armed services, and. indeed, the eo-ordniation of the three service departments among themselves, are at least of equal importance and involve at least an equal amount of thought and careful preparation. For this purpose the Organisation for National Se-urity lias been established ami has boon busily but quietly at work for a long time. "The organisation has the same functions and is founded on the same lines as the Committee of Imperial Defence in London." the Prime Minister continued. "That is to say. the Prime Minister is the only permanent member and co-opts all the assistance lie requires from time to time. Procedure Explained. "Thp whole of tho work of the organisation is dune under the general direction and supervision of the Prime Minister's Departnieut. The Organisation for National Security reports to the Defence Council and'the Defence Council in iurii reports to the Cabinet, which finally decides all matters of importance and which retains throughout control of the whole work.

"The main function ~f tln> Organisation for National Security is to gather the necessary information for the preparation of the New Zealand Governnient War Hook, tlie object of which is to provide orderly instructions for the guidance of all concerned on the outbreak of war and a complete central record for the co-ordination of all immediate Governmental activities in that contingency. I n addition, every Department of .State that will be concerned in war. including many civil department* its well }.s the Xavv. Army and Air Depart incuts, must have its own individual war book, recording and setting out the steps to be taken by that particular department.

"Roth the Xew Zealand Government War Hook and the departmental war books." said .Mr. Savage, "are so designed as to provide for appropriate action in three separate period*—firstlv when there appears to b<. a threat of" war: secondly, during the preen lit ionarv period when war appears to be probable: thirdly, when war has aetuallv broken out. It is sufficient t<, iiulioitV the magnitude of the work that has been undertaken to state that under the Organisation for National .Security more, than r>o separate committees o'r other organisations have been at work, some of them meeting frequently and regularly. Over 400 Meetings Held. "Over 400 separate committee meethave been held, and the work has involved the co-operation of 40 Government Departments and the services from time to time of several hundred individuals. Indeed, a really remarkable amount of detailed iU id "practical preparation lias been made. The public will not expect me to go into details ot the actual measures that aiv proposed—indeed, very many of thw are secr«;t and must remain Secret but it might he ii>cful to set out the tvpe <>f .-übject tliHt lias been under c'oll- -

-Mr. Savage then ? avc details of the special committees which an> dealing with such subject* as compilation <»f the " ar Book, manpower. guard* for vital points, shipping, emergency precautions, «iif»piv and communication.

"It will l>e realised." Mr. Savage proceeded, '"that on nearly all these .subjects the work involved requires ' the collaboration not only of the civil departments concerned, hut also of one or all of tlie armed eervices. Indocd, on the principal committees, for example the War Book Committee, the Thief of the General Staff, the Chief of the Naval Staff and the Chief of the Air Staff are themselves members, collaboratin- regularly for this purpose with the permanent Lead* of the civil departments concerned The Chiefs of Staff Committee 01 the Organisation for National Security, which also meets frequentlv acts under the -Minister of Defence as a means of co-ordinating activities anion- themseives of tlie three armed services.

"In many cases also the work has necessitated the assistance and advice ot oxite.de organisations, which alwavs has been freely and willingly extended and for wh le h the (Jovernment is most £jl fttetlll. Supply Question. "For consideration of the important .subject of supply, a very comprehensive organisation exists under the general direction of the Department of Industries and Commerce with separate committees dealing with national .-npplv "In very many of these subjects' the work involved has necessitated consultation and collaboration with representatives of the industries concerned "I do not wish to give the impression that the whole of the work involved has been completed, , ' the Prime Minister said, -but I can assure the public that the work has made rapid and satisfactory progrees. Careful thought ha* been and is being directed to all the necessary steps that would be required on the outbreak of hostilities. All portions of the Government War Book that are essential for immediate action have been completed and approved. Detailed instructions have been prepared and recorded, and these, with the necessary bilk, orders-in-council, regulations, etc., are actually printed and held ready for action at a moment's notice.

"Should the worst happen the machinery of the Government eould now turn from a peace basis to a war basis without unnecessary confusion and without the neceeeity in time of emergency of pausing to think out what immediate steps should be taken. There is much detailed work yet to do, but the whole field hae been surveyed and what remains to be done is clearly known and will be expedited to the utmost degree possible. T should like to point out also that the work involved in the preparation of these war books ie

newer finlly completed, for th« documents require and are given regular and frequent revision as circumstances demand.. Local Authorities' Part. "I -wish to make special reference to the Emergency Precautions Committee. which, under the control of the Department of Internal Affairs, is charged with the co-ordination of t lie activities in this connection of local bodies concerned, who must be primarily responsible for the actual steps taken. A detailed .scheme suggesting the steps which should be taken by local authorities for the protection of the civil population against disorganisation has been prepared and circulated to local authorities.

"It is the intention to make a sjiecial effort to complete this, work (which has the added advantage of being applicable in time* of natural disturbance. for example, an earthquake, as well as in time of war) as rapidly as possible. I accordingly urge all local authorities to collaborate to the utmost extent ill this matter with the Department of Internal Affairs.

"I should like to add also that, after the most careful consideration. and with the benefit of the best expert advice available in this country and from abroad, the (ioveniment is convinced that there is no necessity in the present circumstances for any undue apprehension as to the safety of the civilian population." said Mr. Savage.

"While tlie situation will be kept carefully under review, there is no present need, in spite of views so often expressed by people who are not familiar with the facts, for the provision of gas masks for the civilian population as a whole, or for phuis for the evacuation of civilians from the main centres, or for shelters, either in the form of trenches, special 'dug-outs.' strengthened buildings or specially prepared erections for protection against bombing from the air or bombardment from the sea. Government "Not Asleep." '"This is the unanimous opinion of every individual whose view on the matter is worth taking, and the people of New Zealand will readily realise that circumstances in this Dominion are totally different from those, for example, in the. L'nited Kingdom. Those precaution* that are considered prudent are set out in the (Joverninent's draft schi-me of emergency precautioni* alreudv referred to.

'"I think I have said enough to assure the public that the Government is not asleep and that. e>o far as humanly pofisibh in the time and with the resources at ite disposal, it lias taken and is taking every possible step to meet any eventuality that may arise. At the same time. I should like to repeat what I said in my broadcast a few days ago, that although the international situation is bad. it is no worse than it has been for some time pjiat, and that the (Jovernmi'iit. while forced to take a realistic view of the situation, can see no necessity for undue apprehension and certainly no reason for undue despondency over what the future has in store.

"While war may be possible, and we must prepare for it. it is still my view that common sense and international decency will prevail, and I have by no means lost hope that a long period of peace will enable us to carry out in New Zealand the tasks which*we were primarily elected to perform."