NEW ZEALAND’S DANGER

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 November 1940, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND’S DANGER

MR SEMPLE'S WARNING. [PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] AUCKLAND, November 29. The necessity for the immediate organisation of the Home Guard was stressed by the Minister for National Service (Mr Semple) and the Dominion Commander of the Home Guard (Major-General R. Young), when addressing representatives of local bodies in Auckland. The Minister said he was amazed at the apathy and indifference of the people to the realities of the present situation.

“I do not want to create panic or scare people, but we have either got to take threats on our safety lying down or stand up and fight,” he said, in reviewing recent happenings and outlining the Home Guard scheme. “I say definitely that this country is in danger, and I am asking people to get together to be prepared to defend it,” he continued. “Material things do not count just now. Everything is in the melting pot. If Britain goes down, New Zealand also goes down. Make no mistake about that.”

Major-General Young referred to the classes of the Home Guard. “There will be no frills and ceremonial parades,” he declared. Virile men should not be kept in the emergency precautions scheme organisation unless they were indispensable key men. Their place was in the Home Guard. “You may have to go into action even if you have only a shirt on,” he replied to questions concerning the supply of uniforms.

“If conditions are as serious as the Minister states, would it not be better to let people know what is happening. If they knew of all those things it might shake them up to a sense of reality,” suggested Mr P. Halligan, of Wark worth.

Mr Semple said it was the job of the War Council to give information. “It would not do if everyone was permitted to yell out what had happened. That might lead to panic. We cannot tell the people all we know, as it might be used against us. Every country has its fifth column, and we have it here in New Zealand also.”

MOUNTED UNITS. NEW PLYMOUTH, November 29. The training of mounted units in the North Island is to begin early in January, as already arranged. It is only in the South Island that the training of mounted units has been set down to begin in February. Definite advice to this effect has been received by the New Plymouth Manpower Committee, which made inquiries at Wellington concerning the statement that the training of mounted units was to be deferred until February.