DEFENCE POLICY

Evening Star, Issue 22721, 7 August 1937, Page 16

DEFENCE POLICY

LABOVR'S BIG PROGRAMME - CAPITAL EXttmmME IF FMEGAST [Special to the ‘Stas.’] August 7, The first sensation of the, legislative year will be the Labour Government’s defence programme, which will be announced in the middle of next week, probably on Wednesday. The- programme, from information available here, is likely to fall into, four main groups:— ■ Continuation of the coastal: defence programme undertaken, on the advice of Sir Maurice Hahkey, Secretary to the Committee of Imperial Defence, .when he visited New Zealand several years ago. A marked increase in the number of aircraft in the . Dominion’s ail* fleet. A remodelling of the preiint Territorial Force both in the direction of increasing: its numbers and in that of heightening its efficiency. To this will be added a greater degree of mechanisation. Provision for a budgetary expenditure much in excess of that I ini the .past ahdcapital expenditure which may run into £2,000,000.

The basis of the-new programme is a report which was completed at high, speed by the Defence Department several months ago. • The sudden call for the report, which resulted in top pressure being applied in 1 the department, was completely incomprehensible when its receipt was • followed by no action. For a time it was considered that the information was-desired-to be used at the Imperial Conference, hpt various factors led to this theory being discarded. A more decent ’ suggestion is that the defence programme was a bargaining point in the extracting of the new trade agreement from (Britain. However, this now appears unlikely. Here. it is considered -that the delay was' due to unwillingness to act in _th« matter until the return of the Prim# Minister. ....

From what information is available it is clear that fast new aeroplanes are to be purchased in soma numbers. They will be much better than any pjanes which the Dominion has possessed before. They . will even include long-range bombers of a type which can "hop the Tasman. These planes, infact, will be extreme range machines, twin-engined, and will be so modern that even if delivery of them could be obtained at ones the personnel would not be here to fly them. New, trained personnet is needed to handle the aircraft, and will not bo available for some time yet. . An interesting aspect,of the new air plan is the fact that there will bo a new base for the North Island. The new air field at Ohakea, - near Palmerston North, will supplant the existing aerodrome at Hobsonville because of its central position., Ohakea,between Sandon and Bulls,, is .practically flat, and its approaches are described as ideal. Survey of it .began early this year. Wigram: will serve the South Island, For the Territorial, Force there will be a new mechanisation plan, but the main object will be to get the force back on to ft satisfactory basis, and avoid the situation which was created under the present plan, under which in 1935-36 only 49 per cent, of the strength of 8,294 completed camp training, and only 30 per cent, both in-camp and out-of-camp training. Thia is likely to be done by making it possible for Territorials to enter camp without having to do so on their annual leave. The new programme will definitely be directed to creating a corps of troops round which could be formed a powerful striking force both for use in New Zealand and for employment abroad if necessary. The force, in other words, is to be regarded as tha basis of something bigger. How the plan will be financed is not to he revealed, but its cost will he surprising to those who considered thatthe Government was not prepared tej spend on' defence. However, all the' material will not be available at once, but will be shipped here over a period. Some -of the new material, however, including the aeroplanes, will be made available almost at once.