STRENGTH ON THE HOME FRONT

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 182, 30 April 1941, Page 6

STRENGTH ON THE HOME FRONT

The Government and people of this country should take heed of the warning uttered by the Governor-General, Sir Cyril Newall, concerning the strength, in personnel, of New Zealand s home defence. Addressing a Home Guard parade in the Auckland Domain, he said that the total Dominion enrolment of 100,000 men was not enough. War, which had been far away, had come much nearer in the past few months, and the Empire was in jeopardy. This is very plain talk, from a man accustomed to weigh his words. What response are we as a community preparing to make ? The Home Guard has reached its present numerical strength after months of voluntary recruitment. Generally speaking the process has been slow;.today it is a mere tail-end dribble of those remaining men who are prepared of their own volition to undertake spare-time training. Moreover, such men are wanted, also for Emergency Precautions Scheme service, in sections which, so far, are seriously under-manned. Again, whether we like it or not, we must recognize that a percentage of the Home Guardsmen and E.P.S. workers enrolled up to the present are not fully active. It is true that the great majority are enthusiastic and working well, but theie is no compelling authority behind the discipline of either movement. Home Guard service should be a part of national obligate! y service. This applies also to the E.P.S. If these two main branches of home defence are to be raised in numerical strength, and also brought up to a pitch of military efficiency, as the enemies of tms country understand that term, the task can be accomplished efficiently and speedily only if enrolment be conducted —and duties and training allotted—on a “universal” basis. Much commendab’e and seksacrificing work has been done up to the present by voluntary organizers, voluntary instructors, and the bulk of the volunteer members themselves. But the peril overseas is becoming greater, and more is required to ensure the safety of this Dominion. It is time home t defence requirements were drawn from the full strength of our population.