DEFENCE MATTERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21990, 27 June 1933, Page 9

DEFENCE MATTERS

NEW ZEALAND-AUSTRALIA. (Fbom Oub Own Correspondent.) / SYDNEY, June 15. With so much talk about the lack of co-operation between New Zealand and Australia it is.refreshening to hear the Minister of Defence (Senator Sir George Pearce) mention the possibility of a change at least as far as his own department is concerned. It has always been emphasised by defence authorities in Australia that in defence matters particularly Australia and New Zealand should follow the -same policy. The problems of each are almost identical, and it is held that a closer relationship in naval matters must be of benefit to the Dominion and to the Commonwealth as well as to the Empire as a whole. It is to be regretted, therefore, that the feeling between the two countries in the past has not been sufficiently friendly to permit of closer consultation and the adoption of a more or less common policy. Such a policy would undoubtedly have" saved money and made for greater, efficiency —two considerations which are of the utmost importance in times like the present. Sir George Pearce said on Saturday that he had noted an encouraging growth in New Zealand's desire to co-operate with the Commonwealth in matters of defence, and for his part, he would certainly do his best to foster that spirit which must be of mutual benefit. He said that Sir James Parr, in a recent conversation with him, had emphasised the New Zealand Government's willing ness for greater co-operation. Evidence of this was to be seen in the recent arrival at Westernport for training of a number of naval trainees from New Zealand, who would normally have been sent to England. For some time now New Zealand had been buying amihtini- 1 tion from the Commonwealth. With the rise of„ the exchange on London buying in England had become too costly for New Zealand. Sir George expressed pleasure that New Zealand had become a customer of Australia and said there would be a great expansion of this business when the cordite factory at Maribyrnong, in Victoria, was extended.