"SCORCHED EARTH"

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 66, 15 September 1942, Page 4

"SCORCHED EARTH"

N.Z. DEFENCE PLAN

AN INTEGRAL PART

Working in accordance with advice received from the Imperial Government, the New Zealand authorities were takitfg careful precautions to deny to the enemy, in the event of invasion, resources which would increase his aggressive strength, said the Minister of Civil Defence (Mr. Bodkin) last night. "It can be said emphatic--1 ally," he stated, "that the authori- . ties have the best of reasons for the present preparations. Their information gives better guidance for the public than the notions of persons who tend to be influenced more by short-sighted personal considerations than by factors of national safety." Mr. Bodkin referred to the experience of some countries where the enemy's grip had been strengthened by the, seizure of important equipment and materials which the defenders failed to destroy. Those misfortunes, due in some cases to disastrous procrastinations or lack of forethought, must not be repeated in New Zealand. In the event of invasion certain action would be taken by the armed forces, but apart from that the denial of resources must be undertaken by the civil defence organisation, which would require the utmost co-operation of the corporate bodies or individuals concerned. E.P.S. technical committees had been set up in all E.P.S. areas, and they had the responsibility of organising and training units which would be available immediately for any action needed. UNHELPFUL ATTITUDE. There was evidence, the Minister continued, that the heads of some big industrial establishments—which invaders would dearly like to use —were loath to give proper heed to warnings about the need of satisfactory preparations and the authorities' requirements for denial of such resources to the enemy. Such an attitude, due to lack of appre- | ciation of the peril, could not be allowed to stand in the way of the national need. War Cabinet, on the most expert advice available to it, had determined that denial of resources must essentially be an integral part of the defence plan, and, secondly, that civil defence was required to undertake the very important responsibility of co-operat-ing with the' armed forces in regard to civil resources. "It is necessary for me, therefore, as Minister of Civil Defence," said the Minister, "to call on all E.P.S. organisations to proceed immediately with the necessary preparations, and 1 feel sure that, once having assured them that the work is a valuable part of our defence plan, they will, as in every other case, extend their wholehearted co-operation to make the scheme entirely efficient. "Provided that property is covered by a war damage policy, the liability of the Crown for compensation in regard to 'denial of resources to the enemy' is shown in the following additional definition of war damage, in the War Damage Amendment. Act. 1942: 'D'Mn:.i;.£e occurring (whether accidentally or not) as the direct result of rnoVpurcs taken under proper authority 1 with a view to destroying any pvo- \ perty for the purpose of preventing it 'from falling into the hands of the enemy or being used by the enemy.'"