NOT SO REMOTE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 101, 1 May 1941, Page 8

NOT SO REMOTE

POSSIBLE ATTACK

THE LOCAL POSITION

MUST BE PREPARED

Unfortunately, the authorities had come to the conclusion that an attack on, or invasion of, New Zealand was not so remote as was popularly supposed, said the Superintendent of Police (Mr. C. W. Lopdell), addressing a meeting of the police section of the E.P.S. at the Central Police Station last night. "The possibility of an emergency arising was regarded by the majority of people only very recently as being very, very remote," he said. "Unfortunately, we are coming to the conclusion that it is not so remote. It is becoming more and more probable that such an emergency as we are organising for may take place. It may take place by our being shelled in the city here in the same way as Tripoli was shelled only very recently, and you can imagine what would happen if a few tons of shells were to fall on the heart of Wellington. "Where shells are most likely, to be dropped is round the transport section, the wharves and shipping, railway buildings and yards, freezing works, and other similar objectives. On the other hand, if, instead of shelling from ships, an aircraft carrier were to come into these waters and take up a position off the east or west coast she could send over aircraft to Wellington or AucMand or to both at the same time and cause very severe damage. HALF THE JOB. "These are, unfortunately, possibilities and probabilities, .^and it is our job as citizens of Wellington, irrespective of the positions that we occupy, to protect our town and to do our best to prepare, for to be prepared, it seems to me, is to have our job half done." If difficulties arose, said Mr. Lopdell, to anticipate those difficulties was to minimise them, and at their meetings, at various times, they would try to anticipate any possible difficulties. Mr. Lopdell dealt briefly with the work of the traffic section, the mortuary section, and the picketing section, which formed important branches of the emergency police'work. The Hon. W. Perry, M.L.C., traced the effect of the regulations. In any disaster, he said, therg were always certain lawless'elements in the community, and he referred to the penalties provided for breaches of the regulations and to the authority with which genuine E.P.S. men were cloaked. Mr^Perry strongly supported Superintendent Lopdell's remarks concerning the possibility of an enemy attack upon New Zealand. It was stated during, the evening that 600 additional men were required for the emergency police. Each Wednesday, between 5 and 6 p.m., a recruiting office is to be opened on the Waring Taylor Street side of the Central Police Station. The next parade will take place on Wednesday between 5 and 6 p.m., and another will take place the same night at 7.30 for those who cannot attend the earlier one.