TO MEET EMERGENCY

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 April 1939, Page 4

TO MEET EMERGENCY

NATIONAL SERVICE URGED. [FEB PBESS ASSOCIATION.] AUCKLAND, April 14. The organisation of the men and women of New Zealand by allotting tasks to be performed by each individual in the event of national emergency was urged by Mr. J. W. Collins, a former New Zealand Trade Commissioner in the United States, at a luncheon held by the Auckland Cham- ' ber of Commerce. The scheme, he suggested, would be on a voluntary basis. Mr. Collins recently returned to the Dominion after a world tour. During the September crisis, he said, he was in Paris when 1,000,000 men were mobilised for war in 24 hours. Every man and woman in France had previously received a “ticket’’ and when the call to arms came every person knew where to go and what to do. The organisation was marvellous. There was no confusion. Every man and woman in Italy and Germany, too, had a “ticket’’ Mr. Collins continued, and they were prepared to go to their allotted tasks as soon as the call was made. He was in Italy after the crisis, and saw the demobilisation of the population. Again there was no confusion. He could imagine the system at work in those countries to-day, although he was convinced that the people did not want war. Mr. Collins said that in Italy even children from seven to 12 years of age had their “tickets” and knew where to go in the event of a crisis. Intensive physical traininghad given Germany a strength in manhood and womanhood that was terrifying. During the bush fires in Australia early this year, ftp-. Collins said he had been told that, had the nation’s man-power been organised, the damage would have been considerably less than it. was. While some were battling with the flames, thousands were sun-bathing on Sydney’s beaches. People in New Zealand were inclined to be too smug and felt that they were safe, he continued. They were oblivious to the fact that in four days aeroplanes from Japan could reach the Dominion and that it was only five days by air from Germany and Italy. Britain would be too occupied near home to be able to lend New Zealand or Australia much help.