E.P.S. DAYLIGHT TESTS

Grey River Argus, 14 March 1942, Page 6

E.P.S. DAYLIGHT TESTS

Air Force Recruits

P.A. WELLINGTON, March 13. Referring to the value qf E.P.S. daylight tests, as he saw at Auckland, Hon. R. Semple said here, today, that it would be fatal to refrain from having these trials until the emergency came. It was the only way of finding weaknesses, and it also helped to steady the public mind. . . * Men who had been accepted for service with the Royal New Zealand Ail' Force, and who are awaiting entry, and those whose applications ‘are pending, will, in the near future, be mobilised by the Army, and posted to the Territorial Force. Mr Jones, announcing this, said that those who will be required to enter the R.N.Z.A.F. from now until the middle of June, for training in either air-crew or non-flying trades, would not be included in the present Army call-up. Those mobilised for the Territorials, he added, would be recalled when and as required for training with the Air Forces. All volunteers might rest assured that their Air Force applications would remain current. They would not be forgotten, and in their turn would be withdrawn from the Territorials, and given facilities on Air Force stations, to complete their present educational training. The international situation was such, the Minister added, that no reserves of manpower should remain untapped, and a reserve of Air Force applicants, both present and future, would be a welcome" addition to the strength of the Territorials. The Government was confident that the men involved would recognise their first duty was the defence of the' country .in whatever sphere they were needed.

NON-SWIMMERS IN ARMY. P.A. WELLINGTON, March 13. A statement issued' by Mr Jones announced that the l taking of figures over the whole of New Zealand showed thfit men in the army unable to swim at the end of February comprised 30 per cent, of the total strength at January 31. Numbers who passed the 30 yards test com,-' prised 81 per cent, of the troops m the northern, 64 per cent, in the central, and 50 per cent, in the southern districts. Last month, many nonswimmers were taught, but the influx of recruits, with many nonswimmers in their midst, left the percentage figures for February at much the same level, except in the southern district, where the number unable to swim 30 yards had been reduced by 11 per cent. In one district, 99 men hold the live-saving certificate. In other districts, the numbers are probably about the same.

WOMEN’S WAR SERVICE

P.,A;. CHRISTCHURCH, March 12

“As your committee is aware, joining the auxiliary is purely a voluntary action by any woman interested,” states a letter received by the president of the Rangiora branch of the Women’s War Service Auxiliary (Mrs M. A. Ellen), from the Dominion secretary. “Once a woman registers with the auxiliary, however, she is required to enrol and sign t'ne declaration of service, so that she is protected for insurance purposes, and at the sarhe time gives an undertaking to obey orders from an authorised person. There appears to be a certain amount of perturbation among women on enrolling with the Women’s War Service Auxiliary at the signing of the declaration of service, which states that the registrant, inter alia, agrees to place herself ‘unreservedly at the disposal of the corps.’ ” The letter points out that many women joining the auxiliary have considerable domestic responsibilities, and, while they are prepared to undertake certain voluntary war or emergency work, and desire to regia- 1 ter with the auxiliary, they do not feel they can conscientiously sign a paper which appears to place them unreservedly in the hands of authorised persons for any type of work in the event of an emergency. To overcome this difficulty, the letter adds, the matter was submitted to the Minister for National Service, who has approved the following:— (1) That every woman joining the auxiliary be required to complete the declaration of service. .. (2) Any woman who so desire? may, however, endorse on her registration card the fact that she .is avail-

able for certain types of service only,

(3) District and sub-centre committees will not allocate such women to any other work or require them to undertake any other form of service (unless registrants so desire) outside the work for which the women have contracted to perform. RECREATION HUTS. P.A. WELLINGTON, March 12. Approval for the erection where necessary of bolted huts for recrea- 4 tion purposes in home defence camps in the Dominion has been given by the standing committee of the National Patriotic Fund Board. The secretary (Mr G. A. Hayden) 3aid to-day that this was one of the decisions made in the interest of the welfare of the men mobilised for home defence. “For a start,” added Mr Hayden, “an order has been placed for 16 huts, the first of which is expected to be ready by Monday. The huts are being built in sections so that if the camp is moved, the huts can be taken down and moved also with the men. They will be 60 feet long and 24 feet wide. The committee has approved the grant of £l,OOO to an organisation in Great Britain, headed by Uady Frances Ryder, which provides entertainment and hospitality for ser,-’ vicemen from the Dominions. The grant was made on the recommendation of the High Commissioner (Mr Jordan). Last year the organisation provided accommodation and hospitality for 2,600 New Zealand air and naval personnel. The committee has also approved of radio sets being supplied to four New Zealand minesweepers for the entertainment of the personnel, and of a gflant for regimental funds for the New Zealand Army Tank Brigade.

DID GOOD JOB

Sullivan and Coates

ARRANGEMENT WITH AUSTRALIA.

P.A. WELLINGTON, March 13. There was ia closer understanding and arrangement with Australia than ever before, said the Prime Minister (Hon. P. Fraser), referring to the visit taade to Australia by Hon. D. G. Sullivan and Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates. Joint representations were made to both London and Washington in respect, not only to the defence of AusH tralia and New Zealand, but also to the complete utilisation of both countries for the commencing of an offensive against the Japanese. Mr Fraser added that he considered that Messrs Sulliva and Coates did splendid work for Nev/ Zealand during their discussions with the Australian War Cabinet an War Council. Yesterday, Messrs Sullivan and Coates reported to the New Zealand War Cabinet, and Mr Fraser said today that the discussion lasted for several hours.