DEFENCE OF NEW ZEALAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17199, 20 June 1916, Page 3

DEFENCE OF NEW ZEALAND.

TO THS EDITOR. Sir,—Sergeant E. H. Orchard advises me, " if of military age, to try my hand with the sword instead of the pen," and so, he says, I should "help my country more." Now, if I were an officer of the Expeditionary Forces, the Government would provide me with a sword costing" £2 2s (also a walkingstick, costing 3s 6d). but if I were a private of the Christclnirch Defence Corps the Government could not supply mo with a rifle. Yet" by the purchase nf 15,000 cast-off Canadian rifles, "some of them as good as new," at four shillings each, including bayonets, Mr Allen boasted of having built up a supply of, altogether, nearly 30.000 rifles. But, as Mr Allen says, the swords are only wanted for ceremonial purposes, and as every officer could cut his own stick, or buy one, the purchase of .swords is a oiece of extravagance, while the purchase of old rifles and the want of rifles is a false economy. General Hobin says that every recruit has received a rifle for training purposes, but he acknowledges that "the rifles are not of a very high standard." He also says that "no rides have been obtained'since the war." Sir Joseph "Ward savs that the training and equipment of" our Expeditionary Forces is by any troops. Where do tho rifles for tho 60.000 men come from ? And how about tho training and equipment of our Territorials and home defence army? Within a fortnight of the" outbreak cf the war, our home volunteers not volunteering for service

abroad wore, ordered to hand in their arms. In answer to my protest, Mr Buddo assured me that " the rifles would be replaced as soon as possible. Now, last veer we imported motorcars, cycles and materials for the same to tho value of over £1.1.50,000, and a week or so ago two ships brought 700 motor-cars from America. If our Government had sent tho order and the money j thoso American firms, or others, would have sent us as many rifles, Maxims, machine-guns, and ammunition as we wanted instead of motor-cars. Tho motor-car money came out of war profits, and these war profits the Government ought to have taken. About twentv-five years ago a French man-of-war entered Auckland harbour and saluted our forts, but the salute was not returned. An apology was sent, explaining that there was a shortage oi powder I . . _ In 18S9, Mr Fergus. Minister of Defence, told the House that to make the colony safe it would require very much more" expenditure. I replied that it was his duty to propose the expenditure of such a sum as was necessary to purchase modern weapons, Maxim guns, etc., and to efficiently defend our harbours ("Hansard,-" August 12,, 1889). Since then the public debt has increased by over fifty millions, and curing the last two years another twelve millions has been snout for tho war. but still wo have a disgraceful and alarming shortage of arms and ammunition. The Government has sent a number of men, supposed to bo tuly trained and equipped, to hold Samoa. but how many trained and fully equipped men have wo readv to defend this country? Sergeant Orchard asks, "If the. enemy once got to Now Zealand of what use would the force at our command be to defend our enormous coast-lino r The answer is that wo ought to have sufficient forces always ready to prevent any ordinary enemy from landing, or "to exterminate them if they did get ashore. What is to prevent a cruiser, privateer, or even a pirate from attacking us? All the most patriotic men did not leave New Zealand with the first or last contingent I There are plenty of men who could and would fight to "protect our homes and countrv as well as our men fought for a barren strip of land at Gallipoli. New Zealand is a part cf the British Empire, and the Imperial Government, of course, expects us to defend it. And the men who have gone away expect us to defend their homos as well as to find them money, food and clothing. If a sentry is found sleeping at. his post he is liable to he shot. What should be done to a Minister of Defence iviio neglects his duty? In answer to E.H.0., I would say that after paving for shearing, whatever it is, "thero was £-1,000,000 of war profit last season on wool. But if the Government conscripts , the last man there will be neither wool nor war profits.—l am, etc., 3. MILES VERRALL. Swannanoa, Juno 18, 1916.