DOMINION DEFENCE

Northern Advocate, 14 September 1934, Page 11

DOMINION DEFENCE

| COASTLINE SAFEGUARDS i I | STRONGER EQUIPMENT. | MINISTER OUTLINES PLANS. i j (From Our Parliamentary Special.) ! WELLINGTON, This Day. Protection of the coastline with stronger armaments, including longrange guns of the latest design,'antiaircraft guns, and tprpedo-carrying aircraft are among the measures the Government will take to strengthen Die defences of New Zealand, as outlined by the Minister of Defence, Mr Cobbe, in the House of Representatives.' The Minister intimated also that liaison with Australia would be reinforced by the training of officer candidates at the Royal Military College, and in addition an air officer would be sent to England for special training. ( The Minister said that the great change in world conditions and in modern methods of attack and defence of nations had made it necessary that New Zealand, an isolated country and one of the farthest outposts of the British Empire, should take such steps as existing conditions rendered necessary for the security Of her people, her trade, and her territory. It was not forgotten that the policy of - the Empire and the Dominions was purely defensive and not in any way aggressive. But at the same time—and in the awakening of one’s mind to a new order of things—the Dominion could not overlook the fact that it stood or fell with the Empire. If the Motherland should ever be forced into a life and death struggle the least she could expect from New Zealand and Australia was that each should, as far as was humanly possible, become responsible for its own home defence.

European Factor. “We cannot ignore the fact that Europe is a seething cauldron today,’ said the Minister, “and there should be no conflict in view as to what is our duty to meet any rising emerWe are not aggressors; we wish to avoid trouble, not to seek it.” The Minister said that although Australia and New Zealand had a common interest in defence the circumstances governing their separate defensive preparations were not exactly alike. Australia had a much greater population, and had developed the steel industry to the extent that would not be possible in the Dominion. Her vast areas of level country made possible the rapid transport of armoured fighting vehicles which would be of little use in New Zealand oWing to the broken nature of the country. Australia had also made great advances in the manufacture of heavy gun ammunition, and that was of considerable interest to New Zealand. A good deal of the money on the Estimates for heavy gun ammunition would be going to Australia,

Link With Australia. “It is the intention to develop further the existing liaison with Australia,” continued the Minister. “As a first step in this direction the Government has decided to resume the training of officer candidates for-the New Zealand Permanent Forces at the Royal Military College of Australia Four cadets will be sent to the college, Sydney, early next year. Four men are there at present. It is also hoped to effect an interchange of officers for varying periods in the near future.” New Zealand had a 'long coastline tc protect, and although the older recognised means of defence were of great importance, yet the extraordinary development of aviation meant that in a country such as New Zealand the air arm of the defence forces had become of enormous importance.

Augmenting Aviation. “In order to strengthen our powers of resistance and observations in areas where invading aircraft might land, it has been decided very materially to increase the air arm,” the Minister said. “We have on order from England two flights of torpedo-carrying aircraft and one flight of coastal reconnaisance aircraft—all to be manned by regular personnel—in addition to the present nucleus of the territorial Air Force. The aircraft will be of the very latest type, and it is intended to effect a progressive replacement of the machines available for the use of the territorial Air Force, so that ultimately they will be fully equipped with the trainer aircraft of the most modern design. It has been thought advisable that, owing to the growing importance of aerial defence, one of our young Air Force officers should be sent to the Air Staff College at Andover, England, where he will be thoroughly trained in aircraft details.”

Longer Range. The Minister said that it was also intended to provide anti-aircraft guns al certain vulnerable points, and it was further intended to install additional armament in the existing coast defences. The present guns, while still serviceable and of value against close attack, had not the necessary range for counter-bombardment demanded by modern conditions. The guns which it was proposed to install, on the advice of English authorities, would be of the latest design and would have a range of 20,000 yards, as against 12,000 yards of the pi’esent guns, A considerable number of highly trained men would have to be employed at first, but it was fully expected that the aptitude and. keenness of many of the country’s territorials would, with a little training, fit them to undertake the duties consequent on the improvements being made. Ratio of Expenditure. New Zealand’s expenditure on defence per capita was much lower than that of other parts of the Empire, the Minister continued, when ■ ref erring to allegations of excessive, expenditure

on defence. He quoted the following expenditure per head in substantiation of his statement: Great Britain (land defence and aviation for 193334), £1 4/; South Africa, for 19321 33, 7/4 per head of white population; Canada, 1933-34, 4/2; Australia, 193334, 7/2; New Zealand, 1933-34, 3/8. It had to be remembered that the defence vote had been underspent by £19,000, so the expenditure was less than the figure shown. In conclusion, the Minister asked whether any sacrifice was too great to maintain the freedom New Zealanders possessed. “Are we to become like the Bengalie, of whom Macaulay wrote?—‘He would see his country overrun, his house laid in ashes,'his children, murdered or dishonoured, without having the spirit to strike one blow.’ We believe it to be our duty to strengthen the defences of our country, and come what may. be it discordant abuse, deliberate misrepresentation, sentimental apeal, political opposition, or misleading sophiestry, we are going to do our. duty.”