R.S.A. Leader Impressed By Preparedness In U.S.

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28685, 8 September 1958, Page 7

R.S.A. Leader Impressed By Preparedness In U.S.

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON. September 7 The United States was putting an immense amount of money and manpower into the defence of the country and of the Western World, with the full approval of the man in the street, the taxpayer, said the president of the New Zealand Returned Services’ Association (Mr K. W. Fraser) yesterday. He had been struck both with the preparedness of the United States defence and with the civilian approval of “fantastically costly” armaments and equipment. said Mr Fraser, who has returned from a two-month visit to America as a S.E.A.T.O. delegate and as a guest of the State Department. "I was impressed by the interest taken by the man in the street,” said Mr Fraser. “They realised that the very existence and the maintenance of the Western way of life could well depend on the fullest contribution by the people of the United States, both in terms of money and manpower." Mr Fraser said he had spent an exacting two months inspecting United States defence projects and headquarters. He had travelled more than 20,000 miles and visited 21 cities and towns in 11 States. The manpower alone required by United States defence Was prodigious by New Zealand standards, he said. “There are 28.000 people working in the Pentagon. At Wright Patterson Air Force base at Dayton, Ohio,

20,000 were required to staff the airfield, which worked 24 hours round the dock in shifts. “All wore uniform, and were appropriately dressed for instantaneous action,” he said. “Even the day-to-day administration staff wore-battle kit, and all the equipment they would carry in actual warfare." At the Aberdeen proving grounds, about 70 square miles of country devoted to weapons tests, he had seen the latest Army devices, said Mr Fraser. Much of this material was still “classified” as was some of the Air Force and Navy equipment which the delegation saw. He had seen a demonstration of the FlO4 ultra-sonic “star fighter” fighter aircraft. “It flew straight up. The thing is just like a rocket, with a man in it, and a fin on either side. The total wing span is seven feet,” he said. On his way to the United States, said Mr Fraser, he had been met by a personal representative of General I. D. White, commander-in-chief of the United States Army, Pacific, and had spent a day discussing with the general and his deputy defence matters affecting the area, and touring installations.