The Press MONDAY, MARCH 30, 1936. Dominion Air Defence

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21745, 30 March 1936, Page 10

The Press MONDAY, MARCH 30, 1936. Dominion Air Defence

There are indications that the Government, when it has to consider the question of defence, will be reasonably concerned with the development of civil and military aviation. Progress in the air has been slow in this country, and it can be said that aviation, as' a means of defence, has had far too little attention in the past. Where civil and military aviation stands at present can be shown best by the defence estimates for the year 1935-36. The naval es-

timates were £450,000, and the, military £505,000, of which £157,400 was allotted to civil and military aviation. A message from our parliamentary reporter states that mem- “ bers of the Cabinet seem to be impressed by “the changing methods that are beginning to “be appreciated overseas; and, unfettered by “the views of the senior services, they appear “to favour strength in the air as a means of “defence.” It is natural enough that naval and' military officers should be deeply concerned with the maintenance of their own services, but it is perfectly clear that defence

methods are changing. New Zealand, of course, will have to play a part allotted to it in the Imperial defence scheme, but that is not the solitary aspect of defence to be considered. There is only one way in which the value of defence expenditure can be reckoned: it must give the maximum protective return for the amount of money spent. Defence expenditure is a kind of insurance premium. A man taking out a policy on his life does not hope to die, but he has to protect his dependents. Similarly, a country spending money on defence does not hope for war, or for attack, but these are unpleasant possibilities that can-

not be ignored. Coming to the specific question of defence in New Zealand, it is obvious enough that the country cannot maintain a navy strong enough to provide the people with a bulwark against attack. It is obvious, too, that if the Dominion were ever visited by an invader using modern methods of warfare, our military forces would not be able to cope with a force which would necessarily be relying a good deal on aeroplanes or seaplanes. If such trouble ever came to New Zealand, it is clear that a strong air force would give the country its solitary chance of protection. The Royal New Zealand Air Force .must be the backbone

of the defence system from now on, and it is not too early to begin overhauling past neglect. New machines in the last year or two have replaced a quantity of obsolete equipment, but while the Royal New Zealand Air Force has good modern machines now, there is not nearly enough of them to allow for efficient development of the force. One glaring deficiency in last year’s estimates was the meagre sum, £ 19,700, allowed for civil aviation. The strength of the air force as a medium, of defence must depend upon the encouragement given to civil flying, for the civilian pilots are the equivalent of military volunteers. Young men must be encouraged to fly in the same way that they have been encouraged to drill. Last year,

however, the money allocated to aero clubs for pupils qualifying for pilot’s certificates was less than that allowed to the military forces for laundering, uniform renovation, and postages and telegrams. In this, matter of air development, New Zealand would not need to stand alone. It is being realised in Australia, too, that an efficient air force is the best means of defence for the Commonwealth. If New Zealand and Australia develop the air arm side by side they will not only be protecting themselves, but doing a service to the Empire, because the British Government’s anxieties will be lessened as it learns that distant parts of the Empire are making a reasonable effort to look after themselves.