NOT WANTED

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 51, Issue 3114, 4 May 1942, Page 7

NOT WANTED

OFFER TURNED DOWN AUCKLAND FARMERS AID IN THE WAR EFFORT “The military response to our offer of assistance may be summarised thus: ‘This is our war and we don’t want anyone else butting in.’ ” This was the report given to members of the Auckland Farmers’ Union by the President, Captain H. M. Rushworth, at last executive meeting.

It was explained that the executive, concerned at the apparent failure of the authorities to fully prepare the country’s defences, particularly in reference to Home Guard activities, had offered to, the Government the services of the Union through its organisers and its 200 branches covering the whole of the Auckland. Province. The offer included the personal services of the president, Captain Rushworth, who in agreeing to the request, had stipulated that he should receive no payment or allowance. The letter stated: —

The direction in which Captain Rushworth’s services can best be utilised appears to us to be in assistance with the organisation of the Home Guard and the cultivation of the offensive spirit combined with an appreciation of the dual function required from that body in coastal defence and guerilla warfare and further the organisation of supplies of such offensive weapons and materials as may be available.

Prime Minister Impressed

Following upon the receipt of this offer the Prime Minister met the chairman and secretary of the Union in Auckland. National defence was freely discussed and Mr Fraser displayed a friendly spirit towards the Union, which he declared was one of the most stable and most useful organisations in the Dominion. He said he was heartily in favour of accepting the Union’s offer, and would place it before the War Cabinet and arrange for an interview with General Puttick. Subsequently the Union was informed that General Puttick had left Auckland before it was possible to arrange the interview, and Its representatives were asked to meet Brigadier Bell, the officer in charge of the Auckland District, instead.

Interview With Brigadier Bell *

At this meeting Captain Rushworth expressed the alarm of members of the rural community at weaknesses in the arrangements for defence, and detailed various aspects which called for urgent attention. He asked whether the Home Guard was a serious factor in defence. Brigadier Bell replied that the arrangements to ration, provision and munition the Home Guard had been made. The Home Guard was under Army control and was certainly a vital factor in operations, its duty being to delay an enemy until mobile troops could engage him. Arms and ammunition were rapidly coming to hand. Shotguns and ammunition he expected General Puttick would arrange to be manufactured on his return to Wellington—also probably shotguns would be impressed. ‘ Uniforms would be turned out more rapidly due to a change in materials and the cessation of supplies to Malaya and India. It was nobody’s fault that arms and ammunition were short, but the position was much improved and becoming more so. Mortars and grenades were increasing.

Brigadier Bell asked Captain Rushworth what it was proposed the Union should do, and Captain Rushworth replied that Brigadier Bell had covered all the ground and had assured him that everytning was provided for. Brigadier Bell replied that he could see only the provision of barbed wire, and the Farmers’ Union was getting large quantities of this, at which he expressed pleasure. Union Goes Further In the discussion that followed this report members expressed regret at the reception accorded the Union’s offer and it was unanimously decided to make further representations to the Government, and the following letter was despatched to the Prime Minister:— “The Auckland Provincial Executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, having heard from Captain H. M. Rushworth' a report of his meeting with you, and subsequently with Brigadier Bell, is unanimous in presenting to you representations made hereunder.

“The net result of the Conference

with Brigadier Bell appears to be that the only scope for assistance by our organisation is considered by him to be the collection of barbed wire. The executive is regretfully unable to accept this as the full measure of its activities in defence. Its members have an intimate knowledge of the problems of the Home Guard, and think they can assist in them if allowed to.

Next Three Months

“Of immediate urgent concern to us are the next three dangerous months. We feel that both because of the immediate danger, and the bad moral effect on the Home Guard of allowing a continuance of its present defenceless state, a really urgent effort should be made to provide it with all possible offensive equipment at once. We are not convinced that all that is possible is being done.

Training Out of Date

“Members take strong exception to the obsolescence of many items in the training syllabus—such as the time devoted to bayonet fighting. They are strongly of the opinion that this should be revised in the direction of guerilla warfare, and tactics designed to counter’ the known methods of the Japanese.

Question of Munitions

“As a force intended for delaying action and harrassing the enemy, the Home Guard would be -called upon to check the spearhead of an enemy advance, probably composed of light armoured vehicles. It has no effective weapon for this purpose, rifle fire or light bombs being proved ineffective. There is evidence that a heavy grenade containing lib to l|lb of explosive is a most effective weapon for this purpose. This could be made by small foundries and machine shops, and the Farmers’ Union would be willing to undertake collection of scrap metal for the purpose if required. We request that this matter be put in hand. We understand that materials such as nitrates and sulphur are available that might be used for explosives. We ask that investigations into the possibilities of using these be made. .

Captain Rushworth’s Services

“Since supply is such a crucial matter to the Home Guard, and since there is a feeling that more could be done to expedite this and cut. red tape, my executive respectfully suggests that Captain Rushworth could best be employed in thii connection. We feel that apart fro.n the undoubted service he could render, his appointment with sufficient authority to get results would have a beneficial .moral effect on the Home Guard, which now feels that it is but .a poor relation of the Army, whose needs are being considered last.

“We urge that apart from use of shotguns owned members of the Home Guard, all other shotguns, particularly in towns, should be impressed and issued to the Home Guard. Further, that shotgun cartridges, loaded with the flanged bullet, be manufactured at once, or alternatively that shotgun ammunition be issued to the Home Guard to be loaded with flanged bullets made by them.

Home Guard and E.P.S.

“In the opinion of my executive the relative assistance being given to the E.P.S. as against the Home Guard is altogether disproportionate. We believe our best protection

against invasion is the largest possible force of trained and equipped fighting men, and that the needs of such should take precedence over any purely defensive organisation such as the E.P.S. We suggest that the emphasis on these two organisations should be reversed, and should be ‘fighting men first’.”