IN BRITAIN

Hokitika Guardian, 10 July 1940, Page 5

IN BRITAIN

HOME DEFENCES,

(United Press Association —By Electric Telegi apli—Copy right;. . LONDON, July 8. The most heartening statement Britain has had on home defences has been issued in London., Some of the main points are: — • All the nine British Divisions brought back from Dunkirk have now been reorganised and brought back to full strength; in the last seven weeks men have been taken into the Army at the rate of 7000 a day; there are now more than 1,000,000 local defence volunteers'in Britain. They can relieve the Army of some duties gild make the regular forces more mobile; by training a new industrial army the Ministry of Labour has put into munitions' work more men than the fighting forces have taken out.

The full story is one of remarkable effort and organisation. Not a single unit of the nine divisions withdrawn from Dunkirk is without its, full complement - of non - commissioned officers, and these seasoned troops are being rapidly re-equipped. Divisions at homo are being brought up to full strength. The June and July intake into the Army was many times faster than the flow in the preceding two months. To cope with this flow, infantry training centres are being increased, and new battalions are being formed at full speed. All this takes no account of the 1.060.000 men in the local volunteer defence forces.

Rapid expansion of arms production, together with other measures, is making Britain impregnable. Mr Churchill and Mr Eden both recently expressed satisfaction at the progress made in the building of defence works all over the country.