THE HOME GUARD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 24025, 24 July 1941, Page 13

THE HOME GUARD

REORGANISATION PLANS EARLY STATEMENT EXPECTED MR. SEMPLE AND COL. ALDRED (S.R.) WELLINGTON. Wednesday An announcement that arrangements for the reorganisation of the Home Guard were well under way was made to-day by the acting-Prime Minister, the Hon, W. Nash. He said it was hoped to make an early statement. All that was now required was for detailed procedure to be provided, and this was Hearing completion. The Minister of National Service, the Hon. R. Semple, discussed recent statements made in Auckland concerning the Home Guard. He said that a published report had led people to believe that he had some personal grievance against Colonel M. Aldred and that the remarks that the Minister had made wero not in the best interests of the Home Guard. All he had done was to resent the publication in the press of information given to Colonel Aldred in confidence. t _ _ Mr. Semple said Colonel Aldred had been advised by General It. Young, Dominion commander of the Home Guard, that the information was secret and was not to be divulged until the matter had been discussed officially by the War Cabinet and authority had been given for a statement to be made. In publishing the statement that he did Colonel Aldred had let down General Young and the Government, and he (Mr. Semple) had taken exception to that. "To suggest that I would do anything to injure the Home Guard is ridiculous," said Air. Semple. "Along with Genera] Young, I travelled this country for four months, night and day_, to organise the Home Guard, and it is unlikely that I would attempt to do anything to destroy the organisation I assisted to create and which, in my opinion, is essential to the safety and welfare of the country. "As far as I am concerned, this matter is closed. I repeat that after the War Cabinet has considered the question of the Home Guard and its relationship to the Army a proper authorised statement will be made. I ask all Home Guardsmen in the country to be patient and wait until the official statement comes down." OOLONEL ALDRED'S REGRET APPEAL TO ALL MEMBERS The following statement was made yesterday by Colonel M. Aldred, V.D., Home Guard commander for the Auckland district, in regard to criticism by the Minister of National Service, the Hon. R. Semple, of his remarks concerning the future of the Home Guard: "In my anxiety to allay the growing dissatisfaction among Home Guardsmen regarding their future, it would appear that I inadvertently disclosed certain information that General Young, Dominion commander, considers should have been regarded as confidential. This being so, I express regret. "Until such time as full details of future policy are made known, I appeal to all guardsmen to carry out their training wholeheartedly as heretofore. The issues at stake are too serious to allow personal feelings to enter into the matter."

SUPPORT FOR COLONEL "ILL-MANNERED ATTACK" Battalion commanders of the Home Guard in the Auckland area held a meeting yesterday to consider the statement made by the Minister of National Service, the Hon. RSemple, when speaking of information provided last week by the Auckland district commander, Colonel M. Aldred, V.D., on the future of the organisation. The meeting adopted the following resolution:—"That this meeting of battalion commanders of the Home Guard in the Auckland area express their sympathy with Colonel Aldred in the unwarranted and ill-mannered attack made on him by the Minister of National Service, the Hon. R. Semple. and assure him of their continued loyalty and support in spite of the unsatisfactory conditions pertaining in the Home Guard under the Ministrv of National Service."

In addition to adopting this resolution the meeting announced that it had decided to request guardsmen throughout the Auckland area to parade as usual pending more satisfactorv arrangements being made for the administration of the Home Guard. AREA COMMANDERS CONFERENCE CALLED (0.C.) ROTORUA, Wednesday Arising out of the attack made by the Minister of National Service, the Hon. R. Semple, on Colonel M. Aldred, Auckland district commander of the Home Guard, a conference of five area commanders in the district has been called by Major J. H. Herrold, D.5.0., commander of the No. 2A area. The other commanders from Whangarei, Auckland, Hamilton and Morrinsville have agreed to attend the conference at Hamilton on Friday to consider what action they will take. "I consider Mr. Semple's attack on a personal friend of many years standing and a brother officer in the last yt'ar as an insult personally and to the officers and guardsmen under Colonel Aldred," said Major Herrold. RECTIFYING PRESENT FAULTS PROMPT ACTION ADVOCATED (S R.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday Suggestions for putting the Home Guard on a better footing forwarded to him by two area commanders were submitted by Mr. W. S. Goosman (Opposition—Waikato) in the House of Representatives to-day. He advocated the selection by the Government of one or more of its returned soldier members to meet the Home Guard, discuss the whole position and rectify present faults. "There has been considerable dissatisfaction and unrest in the Home Guard," Mr. Goosman said. Interest was waning rapidly and the time was past when something should be done to restore the confidence of its members. The guard was composed of men who in many cases were of mature age and could ill afford the time they were giving. ► Mr. Goosman said one area commander considered that unless efficiency could be secured training would be wasted and enthusiasm killed, Arms, ammunition and equipment should be provided at once or a definite date made for their provision. Authority was wanted to enforce attendance at parades and instructors were needed. Moreover, the guard should immediately be placed under army control and become an integral part of the defence forces of the countrv.

The expense to which members of the guard wero put in buying petrol to reach parades was the subject of complaint from another district. Mr. Goosman said. The quantity required cost over £Bl a month and on this the Government collected about £3B in tax, equal to £456 a year, paid by men for the privilege of joining the guard and trying to do something toward the country's defence.