LARGER FORCE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 132, 1 December 1938, Page 20

LARGER FORCE

' THE TERRITORIALS

COMPULSION MAY COME

(Speefa! to the "Evening Post.")

NAPIER, November 30,

World events in recent years had impressed upon the public-the need for the adequate defence of New Zealand, said the Hori. W. E. Barnard, Speaker of the' House of Representatives,; when addressing a meeting called to form a Hawie's Bay branch of the Territorial Association. He said that if the call for volunteers was not sufficiently met, compulsion might be forced upon the Dominion by sheer necessity. / "For many of us," said Mr. Barnard, "our views regarding ' military and naval preparations have been.altered in the past few years, owing to happenings in other parts of the world, and it has been necessary to face up to' the situation as it is today." In the event of a war in Europe, and if England were involved, New Zealand might be thrown back on her own resources, particularly if the Rome-Berlin-Tokio'afcis was maintained, for. Japan .had,,a knack.'of not letting any suitable opportunity slip. Moreover, Britain had not the ships in Far Eastern waters or in the Pacific sufficient to counter the strong and modern navy of Japan. New Zealand had hopes of the United States,, but, I>6t being under the Stars ,and Stripes, was not America's direct concern. "It is stated that 8000 trained men could be expanded in an emergency," Mr. Barnard added, 'Taut the trouble is that we have not got 8000 men. We are 1000 short of the 8000 minimum required. IMPORTANCE OF INFANTEY.; ,' "The Air Force has been different. Its expansion has been great I wish to point out, however, that although the Air Force is a tremendous power, we cannot get away from the fact that the last resort is with the man on the ground—the much-despised infantryman." ' There were two views current, one favouring the voluntary system and the other compulsory training. Happily, this question did not arise in the Territorial Association, the main object of which was support of the present .Territorial Force without the question of policy entering into it. The future policy of the Government, which at present was opposed to compulsory military training, would depend a great deal on New Zealand's response to the call for the further 1000 men required. If sufficient men volunteered that would be good. If not, the Government would have to look; into the matter, and. compulsion might be forced upon the Dominion by the sheer necessities of the situation. • '■ "The question now," Mr. Barnard concluded, to support" the system as we have it. What is .required is a trained force to depend these shores, and not to send to the four corners of tne earth. The Territorial Association project is home defence only. Our duty, as older citizens is to take an, interest in the Territorials and show in a practical way that their efforts-are praiseworthy and patriotic in'Ttlie eyeis of the comnaunity.^