DEFENDING AUCKLAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23320, 13 April 1939, Page 10

DEFENDING AUCKLAND

The keen civic spirit which has enabled Sir Ernest Davis to accomplish much of lasting value during his Mayoralty of Auckland has at no time been more in evidence than in his appeal, published this morning, for an immediate effort on the part of citizens to bring local units of the Territorial Forces to their full strength. For those who regard themselves as citizens of no mean city—and what Aucklander does not? —service in its defence, as Sir Ernest points out, is both a privilege and a clearly defined duty.. But at a time when the need for defensive precautions is greater than ever before, Auckland has lagged behind the rest of the Dominion. The pressing need is for 1000 men to raise infantry and artillery units to their full complement, and the city should be grateful to the Mayor for the uncompromising manner in which he has placed the position before it. Isolation from the storm centres of Europe is not necessarily a guarantee of immunity, and Sir Ernest is quite justified in drawing attention to the fact that Auckland, with its naval and air bases, would probably be the initial goal of any hostile raid. The situation demands action and it is gratifying to find that the Mayor is prepared to give the essential lead. An emergency loses half of its terror if men are on hand who are trained to deal with it, and the Territorial Force provides the only effective means of ensuring trained personnel. Sir Ernest's proposed campaign to see that Auckland is adequately and properly defended is more than an appeal; it is a challenge to all who enjoy the privileges of free citizenship. The spirit of earlier generations is not yet dead, and there is no reason why the challenge should not be accepted proudly and in the high spirit of service. If more than 1000 men are prepared to come forward, so much the better. There could be no finer way of demonstrating that the heart of the city is sound and of proving an invincible resolve to defend a heritage supremely worth defending^