PRECAUTIONS TO SAFEGUARD N.Z. DEFENCE SECRETS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22761, 6 October 1948, Page 3

PRECAUTIONS TO SAFEGUARD N.Z. DEFENCE SECRETS

(P.R.)

WELLINGTON, Oct. 6.

Were all persons engaged in defence research in the Dominion thoroughly trustworthy, having regard to the overriding and ever-present menace of communism in New Zealand, and had any steps been taken to see that the persons engaged on such very secret work were properly selected? asked Mr. R. M. Algie (Oppos., Remuera) in the debate on the Estimates yesterday. Mr. Algie also asked whether the Minister of Defence. Mr. F. Jones, had taken any precautions to see that the results of research conducted by his officers were not made available to anybody else. There was a feeling among scientific men, he said, that when they investigated a matter science knew no bounds, and that the fruits of their investigation should be available for everyone.

Did the Minister make certain that there was some contract that ensured that the results were for the Crown and the Crown alone? Mr. Jones said there was £25,000 for defence science—split among the three services—and in the main the work would be done by officers of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. He could not imagine that any member of the Defence Science Advisory Committee would say that as a result of serving on that committee he felt bound to give information outside that would not be in the best interests of New Zealand —he could not imagine that those people would let their country down. Other persons who might enter defence science work would be “vetted” to make certain that they could be trusted and were reliable and competent to take on the necessary training, said Mr. Jones.