PLANS PREPARED

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 80, 1 October 1938, Page 10

PLANS PREPARED

DOMINIONS DEFENGE

AIRCRAFT ON ORDER

TRAINING ARRANGEMENTS

The New Zealand Government?* order from Great Britain for .30 Wellington bombers, which would be flown out some time next year, was referred to by the Minister of Defence (th* Hon/F. Jones) in his address at Lime* hills (Southland) on Wednesday night* states the "Southland Times." "These are the most up-to-date bprnbew built," Mr. Jones said, "and we are sending the personnel home to be trained to fly them out to-NewfZe** land. We have entered into as arrangement with Great Britain to have these men sent Home, and Britain will pay the cost and admit them.ito the Royal Air Force. Ninety wepe sent Home last year and the total this year will be 150."

Mr. Jones added that there was: alia another scheme under way. The proposal was that Britain would pay, fp* every youth sent Home after eight months' training in New Zealand the sum of £1850, the New Zealand Gov* ernment to pay his fare back if necee* sary. He thought that a splendid scheme, and the Government hoped to send 50 youths this year. "We have also bought 29 Baffin "aircraft," Mr. Jones said, "second-hand ones, but some of them practically new. We have established a Territorial Air Squadron which is' doing good work in Wellington, and we hope to establish similar squadrons in Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin. Each machine will carry three-quarters of a ton of bombs and they will do reconnaissance work round the coasts. That scheme will cost us £100,000. Next year we will have a new air chief, Wing Commander H. W. L. Saunders, Who will take the place' of Group Captain the Hon. R. A. Cochrane, who is leaving about the beginning of next year. ' • ■ ■ - "If we are faced with an emergency; at any time —and I hope that emergency will never come, bad as thlngi look today—we have our plans prepared to get the machinery, ready," Mr. Jones said. "We have to know what will happen if petrol supplies cease, and we have therefore worked out a system so that we will know how to ration or control the distribution ol petrol in this country." The Government had gone on with, the reconstruction of the naval base. There were new stores, and a new armaments depot and there was bong constructed an oil tank to carry 12,000 tons of oil, and the work was being done by the country's own personnel, people from overseas agreed, that the Government was constructing and bringing to completion an up-to-date naval base. The Government was Increasing the number of young men to the naval service, and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve was doing splendid work in training .for anti-submarine work and mine-sweeping. . This year the Government ~ would spend £3,080,000 to provide an up-to--date Defence Force for New Zealand.