HOME GUARD

Grey River Argus, 20 August 1940, Page 9

HOME GUARD

WORK FOR ALL Mr Fraser’s Appeal [Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, August 19. Service, in the.. Emergency Reserve Corps to b e set up by the Government. embracing the work of existing emergency precautions organisations, the Home Guard, and the Women’s War Servic e Auxiliary, will be entirely voluntary and unpaid. This was made clear by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, in a broadcast address last evening. The corps he emphasised, was designed to giv e every person in New Zealand not engaged or needed for other war work, an opportunity to take part in th e defence of the Dominion. Mr ' Fraser outlined the organisation of the new corps (explained more fully in_statements already issued by the Minister for National Service), when summarising New Zealand’s war effort to date. “The situation in New Zealand is not parallel with that in Great Britain,” h e said, when referring to the intense and sympathetic interest with which New Zealanders were following th e heroic defence of the Home Country. ‘ We are confronted with no such imminent danger; but We must face the task of defending oui'selves and P re " paring ourselves for any possibility. We must not be lulled into a false sens e of immunity or liv e in a fool’s paradise. There is the same determination in New Zealand that there is in Great Britain to face anv eventuality with courage, and the same dogged sense that we will defend ourselves to the last ditch against any attack.” The Government had made its nrsi task the training of men for the armed forces, for service overseas, Mi Fraser said, at the same time seeing thaU enough trained workers were retained in industry for the P^ odua " tion of essential' goods and foodstuffs tor hom e and for England. The problem of balancing civil and military needs was one, of the most difficult problems a government had to face in war time. Nor had New Zealand lagged behind other parts of the Empire hi putting itself on a war footing. The Government nad set about the organisation of its own home defences, and when th e crise s became worse had increased the war strength of the territorials, who were now undergoing intensive training. Then th P Government had taken power to organise all th e people of New Zealand into the general war scheme, and a few days ago th e GovernorGeneral,, by proclamation, had caned up for enrolment the first division of the General Reserve. Now the Government had reached a stag e where it could devote an equal' amount ol attention to the extension of the home services, and in doing that it would make full us e of available, finding for everyone some job in th P defence system. “The Government has created a framework inside which everyone will find a place,” Mr Fraser said. He emphasised that under th e new regulations setting up the Reserve Corps there would b e no interference with existing organisations doing war work, such as patriotic organisations and thos e providing comforts, and facilities C for soldiers. But service would be entirely voluntary and_mpaid The members of the Nhtiona Guard would be issued w«th suitable badges when on duty, and arrangemehtq were Tieing made for the issue of arms and equipment. Tim enrolment of members would be mad through local authorities and short y the Minister for National Service, the Hon. R. Semple, with h:s associate tlm Hon D. Wilson, and officials of the National Service Department would visit each district and exp.ain the scheme as a preliminary to set t i n o- up the district committees.

“Send In Your Name" “To th e Hiany thousands who have expressed their anxiety for such an organisation as the National Guard, I would say this: as soon as your local committee is formed, send m your name.” Mr Fraser said. ‘Here is an opportunity for every man to goin up for the defence of our country and of the liveq of our people. Mr Fraser also explained‘that women would have a chance to offer their services in a similar organisation, tn e Women’s War Service Auxiliary, which had already made considerable progress in its formation. Those women who did not belong to an organisation doing war work could enrol in the auxiliary' at the focal centre. The auxiliary was designed to co-oidmate women’s war efforts, and one of its tasks would b e the mobilisation ol women for work in industry, where vacancies occurred as men went up for war service. Already ther e was scope for certain classes of trainee women, such as clerical workers and many branches of factory work, . and to those women the Prim e Minister appealed to offer their services if available.