Mr Savage Tells N.Z. What Has Been Done For National Security

Northern Advocate, 2 June 1939, Page 6

Mr Savage Tells N.Z. What Has Been Done For National Security

[Per Press Association. — Copyright. ] CHRISTCHURCH, This Day

rpilE PRIME MINISTER, THE RT. HON. M. J. SAVAGE, LAST EVENING MADE A FURTHER STATEMENT ON THE STEPS ALREADY TAKEN OR NOW BEING TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT TO PREPARE THE DOMINION AGAINST WAR CONTINGENCIES.

“It seems to me,” Mr Savage said, “that the time is now appropriate to let the public know, as far as this can be done without the disclosure of necessarily secret matters, exactly what we have done and what wo are

doing.”

Mr Savage said that the organisation of civil departments and the coordination of this work with that of the armed services, and, indeed, the co-ordination of the three service departments among themselves, was at least of equal importance, and would involve at least an equal amount of thought and careful preparation. %

N.Z. Government War Book.

For this purpose the Organisation for National Security had been organ- • ised and had been busily but quietly at work for a long time.

A Reassuring Note “I should like to add also that, after the most careful consideration, and with the benefit of the best expert advice available in this country and from abroad, the Government is convinced that there is no necessity in the present circumstances for any undue apprehension as to the safety of the civilian population,” said Mr. Savage, Mr. Savage said that he thought he had said enough to assure the public that the Government was not asleep, and that, so far as humanly possible in the time, and with the resources at their disposal, it had taken and was taking every possible step to meet any eventuality that might arise. At the same time, he would like to repeat what he said in his broadcast a few days ago, that although the international situation was bad, it was no worse than it had been for some time past, and that the Government, while forced to take a realistic view of the situation, could see no necessity for undue apprehension, and certainly no reason for undue despondency over what the future had in store. Hopes for Peace While war might be possible, and the country had to prepare for it, it was still his view that commonsense and international decency would prevail, and he had by no means lost hope that a long period of peace would enable them to carry out in New Zealand the task which they were primarily elected to perform.

The organisation had the same functions and was founded on the same lines at the Committee of Imperial Defence in London.

The main function of the Organisation for National Security was to gather the necessary information for the preparation of the New Zealand Government War Book, the object of which was to provide orderly instructions for the guidance of all concerned on the outbreak of war and a complete central record for the co-ordina-tion of all immediate Governmental activities in that contingency.

In addition, every department of State that would be concerned in war, including many civil departments, as well as the army, navy and air departments, had to have its own individual war book, recording and setting out the steps to be taken by that particular department. 400 Committee Meetings, Mr Savage said that over 400 separate committee meetings had been held, and the work had involved the co-operation of 40 Government departments and the services from time to time of several hundred individuals.

Mr Savage gave details of the special committees which are dealing with such subjects as compilation of the War Book,’ manpower, guards for vital points, shipping, emergency precautions, supply and communication. Mr Savage added that it would be realised that on nearly all these subjects the work involved required the collaboration not only of the civil departments, but also of one or all of the armed services.

Satisfactory Progress,

Mr Savage said he did not wish to give the impression that the whole of the work involved had been completed, but he could assure the public that the work had made rapid and satisfactory progress.

Should the worst happen, the machinery of the Government could now turn from a peace basis to a war basis without unnecessary confusion and without the necessity, in time of emergency, of pausing to think out what emergency steps should be taken.

There was much detailed work yet to do, but the whole field ha # d been surveyed. What remained to be done was clearly known, and would be expedtied to the utmost degree possible. Emergency Precautions Committee Continuing, Mr. Savage said ho wished to make special reference to the Emergency Precautions Committee, which was charged with the co-ordination of the activities in this connection of local bodies concerned, who must be primarily responsible for the actual steps taken. A detailed scheme suggesting the steps which should be taken by local authorities for the protection of the civil population against disorganisation had been prepared and circulated to all local authorities. It was the intention to make a special effort to complete this work as rapidly as possible, and he accordingly urged all local authorities to collaborate to the utmost extent in this matter with the Department of Internal Affairs, under which department the committee functioned.