ARMY EQUIPMENT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23338, 5 May 1939, Page 8

ARMY EQUIPMENT

BEPOBTED HUGE OEDjj R PRIME MINISTER'S DtNIA"L? B "CITIZENS AND SOLDIERS W'-P •' * ••'•VW'ES'WNO GOOSE-STEPPING INTENDED f' [ry telegraph—press association . "WELLINGTON, Thnrsdall KK Declaring that the underlying I pf pose of the statements was to '■ H opposition to the Government • Sll J Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, B commented vigorously on a Pftss Y'\ ciation message from Dunedin regarf |p ing the task of equipping a territory §|f army of 50,000 men. 3 "The fellow who wrote that think it is smart journalism; I tjfr lit it is stupidity of the first order lH Mr. Savage. "The Government S fl never talked about putting 50 000 t* ill ri to rials into uniform, or about 50 H territorials at all. It has talked abo? K| citizen army, in which the mea ¥ I not be dressed up in uniform but coS go about their business feeling thattU were citizens and soldiers at the p| time, not goose-stepping up and do*! llf the country in uniform and. spending Pi hundreds of thousands a year in cS ivi] tho job. . . |g|| Woolgrowers' Opposition f f f "Jf some of those people who writ* llf about defence would go fishing, the" I might be serving the country than they are doing to-day. Decent lit should suggest to them that they wait until the conference reports hjj been discussed and the Government definitely stated what it was do. Instead, these fellows set oat j fffei policy alleged to be the Governme&t'i policy. They are trying to blame the iff Government for not having given |S|§ licity before so that wool-growers might have obtained greater prices. For sheer " 5 stupidity that excels anything I ha Te reacl. They are trying to get the woo!. growers' opposition to the Government 111 and at the saing,,time are trying to get -jit the opposition of those who think we should not have an army or any defence fill at all. Defending Dominion "There are s.ny amount of men, and women too, . ready to serve New Zet> iiߣa land without being dressed tip in md. form to do it or feeling that they ma; &§ be commandeered to go to the North Pole or anywhere else," Mr. Savage ||| added. "They are asked to associate p® themselves with a scheme for the de- jr fence of New Zealand."

Supply 'of uniforms p BLANKETS AND FOOTWEM ' . p' CONTRACTS BEING PLACED ||| DUNEDIN PAPER'S ASSERTION [BY TELEGRAPH"— PRESS ASSOCIATION] 1 DUXEDIX, Thursday £| In a footnote to the Prime Minister's I statement, the Otago Daily Tim | says: —"Despite what the-Prime Jft l( , ■»'' ister said to-day, the Government I'V placing contracts for the supply to tfe . Defence Department of uniforms, blankets and footwear in large quastitles. The number of uniforms is approximately that 'stated by os" * j (60.000), "but the number of pairs cf r boots for which contracts are being fct|| | has been reduced." * -

SECRET INFORMATION INQUIRY INTO LEAKAGE STATEMENT BY MR. SULLIVAN PURPOSE OF NEGOTIATIONS B [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Thursday ' "The National Supply t which I am chairman, has been mafe , j. detailed investigations ,and conducting * negotiations with manufacturers Mimporters regarding supplies general?! . both for the armed forces and the ert ||| community," said . the Minister . • |i Industries and Commerce, the Hon. J* pg G. Sullivan. "This work has been goal |pg on effectively, but very quietly, &| || many months. The object has been » make carefully planned arrangement ( so that in the event of a natioi® |g emergency the Government will HS where stocks of the required materia may be obtained and the capacity the plant available to _ manufart® materials into the commodities reqnir . Full inquiries along these lines a necessary befoi'e a decision can b® as to the adequacy or_ otherwise ||ky reserve stocks held by the Govornm«J "I have only two things to say aw* ||g the statement from Dimcdin," said ; Minister. "In the first place, m«. ; the details are inaccurate. um m of the kind mentioned have not : || placed and, moreover, the Q"' ,n . stated are most misleading. SrcoA I desire to point out that the mco the subjects discussed and tite ns, '-Jfe worked on were not only conn ' but secret. Persons attending the j|| ing were, warned as to secrecy, steps will be taken to ascertam . . the leakage has arisen. The D - ft] Official Secrets Act, 1911, w s operation in New Zealand ant Pf" . ||| are warned against the public 3 ! fe. secret information, no matter o . .ig| obtained that information. ||;