New Zealand Undefended

Manawatu Times, Volume 59, Issue 272, 20 November 1934, Page 6

New Zealand Undefended

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Your leading article of to-day under the above heading makes interesting reading. You state that New Zealand offers a rich prize to any raiding power; that “potentially our situation is more dangerous than at any other time in our history”; “that this country must be prepared to defend itself”; “that we should at all times be able to oppose a landing upon our shores with a force of 50,000 fully equipped troops in order to oppose a possible 100,000 invaders”; “that we should possess, and without delay, a fleet of at, least 100 bombing ’planes.” This,- Sir, is very alarming and undoubtedly, if any robber comes along, wo should be equipped and fight to the last man to repel him. But which nation is likely to bo that invading robber? \Ve can only guess at two: Japan or America; and we think we had belter rule America out, as there is nothing wo have but what she herself has alreadv in abundance.

According to Mr Frank Milner, as reported in this same issue of your paper (page 7, column 3), the Japanese are not an emigrating people. All they re quire is trade expansion, so that they might exchange their manufactures for raw materials.

Our cry is “new markets in the East,” and we don’t need to acquire 100 bombing ’planes and 50,000 troops, etc., in order to arrange equable exchange of goods. Why, Sir, Japan gives us an enormous quantity of goods in exchange for a bale of our wool. Britain also gives us more goods for our products that she gave us years ago. Whenever anything is said about improving the conditions of life here, such as guaranteeing the cost price of primary products to the producers or paying a little more to the unemployed, or in any other way bettering the living conditions of the people, the cry goes up: “Where is the money to come from?” Undoubtedly plenty of money could be found for defensive or war purposes. The worst of it is that this method always temporarily gives an appearance of a' return to prosperity while the spending is in process, though of course the aftermath makes us worse off than before —more debt to pay and less to pay with. “High finance,” wrongfully termed “sound finance,” always acts’thus, and is the sole reason why New Zealand, like the rest of the world, is irretrievably in debt. I would like to say much more, but perhaps I may be understood if I remark here that force is not always used to repel the. enemy outside. It sometimes keeps in subjection those who are inside.—l am, etc.,

W. ARCHER Palmerston North, Nov. 19.