Defence of New Zealand

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 2, 28 September 1937, Page 11

Defence of New Zealand

Sir, —It is reported in the Press that satisfactory response is coming forward to the Government's call for volunteers for a reorganised defence force, and these men will be drafted to the artillery and infantry in various -centres. The frightfulness and' savagery of the Japanese in China and the consequent horrors the unfortunate Chinese civilians are experiencing should cause us to pause and consider our own position. The Japanese naval, authorities a few days ago spoke in language that cannot be misunderstood, concerning Japan’s views of the empty spacey of Australia and New Zealand. That Japan desires to expand to these empty spaces by migration is obvious. . . If Japan succeeds in her aggression in China, and there can be no doubt that she will within a very few months, Japan will then command unlimited .man power and raw materials for her projected move toward the Western Pacific. Japan will, of course, never move to fulfil her aim until Britain is engaged elsewhere, and it appears that it is the aim of other nations also to bring the British Empire to her knees and divide the loot between them. Japan, flushed with military power, will never consent to any treaty that will hinder her from exploiting the vast resources in the conquered territories of China to build a navy and army the magnitude of which the world has never known. Even now the Manchukuans, who are Chinese, and Mongolians, who are not Japanese, are helping Japan in the present war in China; this will be true of the population of every conquered portion of China. From this we can readily realise the future might of this Oriental pawer—Japan. Of course, as mere civilians, we do not know what is being done by the Government for our defence, but if Press reports are any indication, it appears that it is the same old decayed method of tinkering and muddling. The Government is very emphatic in creating public assets,-and millions are being spent in so doing, but what about adequate defence of those assets as well as the life and safety of our people?

The horror China is experiencing today comes principally from naval and aerial warfare; that is a lesson for us. An invasion of our country can come only from the sea, and there our first line of defence should be. not in. artillery, infantry, or fortifications. This should be our second line of defence. A possible enemy should be met and destroyed at sea, and as far - away from our coast as possible. Therefore, we should concentrate on our air force, equipped with fast bombers in sufficient numbers to go out in relays to bomb and harass enemy warships and transports. We should prepare ' facilities for submarines, and acquire a number of mine-layers, and build aerodromes near every likely point of enemy approach to our coast. Acquire seaplanes equipped with radio and searchlight to patrol the coast. This first line of defence should be within our means, also suitable to our limited. population, because it -requires but a limited number of men to man it efficiently. To concentrate on infantry and artillery presupposes the idea that we are preparing to meet a possible foe on our soil; that way we, invite the fate of the unfortunate Chinese civilians. Tinkering as we are doing amounts to criminal neglect of our national existence. Pages from the history of our Empire teach us a lesson and point the way. We must recognise this in the case of the Spanish Armada, where the wisdom of ,-ood Queen Bess’s admirals prevented any single Spaniard from setting foot on English" soil; but in our case m shad repent history with different methods; bombs, torpedoes, and mines.—l am. etc., J. A. McF. Wanganui, September 25.