CONSIDERED ADEQUATE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 28 November 1938, Page 8

CONSIDERED ADEQUATE

N.Z. DEFENCE FORCE NO RETURN TO COMPULSORY TRAINING lUn.ted Press Association! CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Commenting to-day on the New Zealand Defence League’s policy of a return to compulsory military training, the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, said to-day that the Government had no intention of returning to this system. “We think the force we are training in New Zealand is quite adequate”, said the Minister. “After all, it is a peace-time force which could be rapidly expanded in the event of an emergency. Our aim is to give the best training possible to prepare potential leaders who could train others if this was necessary.” Mr Jones said the Government was well posted with information and had a substantial basis for the view that the scope of an attack on either New Zealand or Australia could not be more than a raid. This was a matter of opinion, and some people might think differently, but this was the view of the Home authorities as recently as the last Imperial Conference, and it was the view of the Chief of Staff in the New Zealand to-day. For that reason the New Zealand Force was considered adequate. Australia was a larger country and to protect her long coastline against the possibility of an attack by a raider a much larger force was required.