HOME GUARD

Hokitika Guardian, 17 September 1940, Page 8

HOME GUARD

ADDRESS BY GENERAL YOUNG

(Per Press Association— Copyright). WELLINGTON, Sep. 15. The importance of the task assigned to the/Home Guard and the role it may he called upon to fill in tho defence of New Zealand were referred to by the commanding officer, MajorGeneral It. Young, 0.J3., C.M.G., D. 5.0., at the annual smoke concert of the Wellington Commercial Travellers’ and Warehousemen’s Association. “In the last war we didn’t need a Home Guard,” he said. “In' the last war we had one problem to get oui troops overseas to win the war/ overseas. That is still,, in my opinion, our main problem.” In this War, unlike the last, New Zealand was faced with the problem of home defence, he said. Everyone knew what was happening in England now, but most of the people in New Zealand had never seen a bomb dropped or a shot fired, if an emergency arose and it became necessary to evacuate the cities, the men of tho Home Guard who had seen service in, the last war would stand j fast and .prevent any panic.

Possibilities to be Faced Suppose we temporarily. lose control of the Pacific,” said General Young, “all we can expect is. a hit-and-run iaider. If at .some stage we lose contrlrof the sea until such time as America or our own people can come to' our aid, I can see some people becoming downhearted and saying: “Wliat is the use of having our cities destroyed'?” We can hang on here if we can get our cities evacuated. This country is a country we can defend, but we must' have organisation.

“If this Home Guard is to be of any use the men we get hold. of. must stick to it. If this fellow who may attack us does not come along for six months or 12 months, we must see it through. The Home Guard must ceaselessly watch the whole of the coastline to guard against surprise attack.” If an. enemy should come in a cruiser or an v aeroplane-carried on a hit-and-run raid, it would be the task of the Home, Guard to hold that enemy until life Territorial Forces could take over. He believed that if the Home Guard were organised on the right lines the young fellows in the Territorials would know they had 1 heir fathers behind them. -

“I think I will have the backing of all the commercial people of New Zealand,” Major-General Young concluded. “I will give those of you who feel yon can come along something useful to do. Who would not rather die than live -with a broken heart under a foreign flag?”