DEFENCE FORCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23333, 27 October 1937, Page 7

DEFENCE FORCE

SYSTEM OF BOARD CONTROL UNIFICATION OF SERVICES NATIONAL DEFENCE COUNCIL (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, Oct. 26. "I am quite sure that this is the right form of administration," said the Ministei of Defence (Mr F. Jones) when referring during his second reading speech on the Army Board Bill in the House of Representatives to-day to the system of control outlined in that measure and in the two Air Bills introduced last week. "In placing each of the services under boards we are following the practice adopted in other parts of the Empire," the Minister said, " and at the end of this year or early next year we will have the headquarters of all services together in the old railway building in Wellington. I believe that this will bring better results." Mr Jones said that a national defence council had also been established to co-ordinate the three services so that there would be no danger of watertight compartments being created. The council would consist of the Prime Minister (Mr Savage) as chairman, himself, as Minister of Defence, the Minister of Finance (Mr Nash), the Minister of Marine (Mr Fraser), the Speaker of the House (Mr W. E. Barnard) and the Under-secretary for Housing (Mr J. A. Lee), in addition to the Secretary to the Treasury (Mr G. C. Rodda) and the chiefs of the three services. No legislative authority was required for the establishment of the council. National Security " We have also an organisation for national security," the Minister continued. "This is representative of various departments and will make recommendations which will be received and sent on to the Cabinet by the National Defence Council. The Cabinet will make the decisions. When particular departments of State are concerned it is likely that the Ministers in charge of those departments will be invited to express their opinions so that in the event of the organisation having to deal with any national emergency such as a war, an epidemic, or an earthquake it will be possible to secure full cooperation. . " I know there are people m New Zealand who do not like leaving the old for the new," Mr Jones concluded, "but changes are taking place all over the world, and if we are to have efficient forces we must have an efficient organisation. I believe the organisation provided for in this legislation will give us better results than ever before. Mr J. Hargest (Opposition, .Awarua): Is it true that the title of the General Officer Commanding has been changed to the Chief of the General Staff? . The Minister: That is so, but no legislative provision is needed tor the change. The Land Forces Mr J. G. Coates (Opposition, Kaipara) said he had hoped that the Minister would tell the House what the Government had in mind to improve the land forces. If the people fondly imagined that the Army Board Bill would give them security, then they were doomed to disappointment, because it did nothing of the kind. ~«.„♦ Mr Jones: No one suggested that it did. - ~ Mr Coates said he was not finding fault with the establishment of an Army Board. It might be a good thing, but his point was that the mere fact of having an Army Board in no way affected the ultimate numbers or efficiency of those who joined the land forces. He referred to the deletions in the permanent forces, and asked whether the men were satisfied with their conditions. Men who were important in the building up of a sound system of defence were being lost to the service and one wondered what was the reason for it. The permanent forces should be placed on a different plane from the public service. The Minister of Lands (Mr F. Langstone): What plane would you place them on? , Mr Coates said he did not think New Zealand could do better than follow the traditional procedure of the British Army. The new Council of Defence seemed to be more in the nature of a Cabinet committee. The navy was the Dominions first line of defence, and properly-organ-ised coastal defences with an adequate and well-trained personnel were absolutely essential. Inter-relation Of Forces "The question of the inter-rela-tion of the forces was discussed by a meeting of officers when I was Minister of Defence," said Mr J. G. Cobbe (Opposition, Oroua), and it was clearly understood that there should be the utmost co-operation. It was agreed that the navy must know what the army was doing, that the army must know what the Air Force was doing, and generally that there should be complete coordination among the forces. Mr Cobbe assured the Government that the Opposition would do everything it could to back up the Government in every reasonable way So far as a real improvement in the defences of the country was concerned, members of the Opposition would be right behind the Government Effective Administration " This Bill will make our defence units more effective." said Mr W. J. Lyon (Govt. Waitemata). It is a ' step toward the effective administration of a machine that emergency conditions may call upon to function without any notice at all. It is good to know that the Opposition realises the responsibility that is vested in New Zealand. From the point of view of efficiency, we can do no better than establish the Army Board that this Bill provides for " The debate was adjourned when the House rose at 5.30 p.m.