THE HOME GUARD

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24206, 23 February 1942, Page 4

THE HOME GUARD

ENCOURAGEMENT LACKING CIVIL EFFORT CRITICISED (0.c.) HAMILTON, Sunday Keen disappointment with the lack of encouragement suffered by the Home Guard was expressed by Major T. H. Melrose, officer commanding the Hamilton battalion of the guard, when addressing a parade of his men to-day. Comparing the presently greatly reduced attendances with the number who had originally enrolled, he said that for every member of the Home Guard there were now 10 members- of the Emergency Precautions Service. What "was needed in New Zealand, Major Melrose added, was a spirit of belligerency, whereas the building up of the E.P.S. only created a spirit of pacificism and defeatism. It tended to induce people to congregate in the towns instead of dispersing. The Home Guard was untrammelled by regulations and was an unorthodox defence unit of great fighting potentiality. However, the battalion members were now thoroughly disillusioned as a result of their disheartening experiences and because inspiring leadership was entirely lacking on the part of the Government. Major Melrose said the machinery of the town should immediately be mobilised for the manufacture of weapons. The material, plant and skill were all available, and all that was needed was encouragement from the Government.

As things were at present, apart from the members of the armed forces, the people of New Zealand were not putting 1 per cent of their energy into the war effort. No matter what the consequences were, he intended to launch a campaign with the object of impressing on the civilian population the need for a more determined and spirited effort in preparing for the defence of their country.