MILITARY TRAINING
COMPULSION NOT NECESSARY MINISTER EXPLAINS POLICY (Per United Press Association'* CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 28. Commenting to-day on the New Zealand Defence League's policy of a return to compulsory military training, the Minister of Defence (Mr F. Jones) said that the Government had no intention of returning to this system. " We think the force we are training in New Zealand is quite adequate,'' the Minister said. "After all, it is a peacetime force,' which could be rapidly expanded in the event of an emergency. Our aim is to give the best training possible to prepare potential leaders who could train others if this was necessary." Mr Jones said the Government was well posted with information, and had a substahtial basis for the view that the scope of attack on either New Zealand or Australia could not be more than a raid. This was a matter of opinion. Some people might think differently, but this was the view of the Home authorities as recently as the last Imperial Conference, and it was the view of the Chief of Staff in New Zealand to-day. For that reason the New Zealand force was considered adequate. Australia was a larger country, and to protect her long coastline against the possibility of attack by a raider, a much larger force was required.
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Bibliographic details
Otago Daily Times, Issue 23669, 29 November 1938, Page 8
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217MILITARY TRAINING Otago Daily Times, Issue 23669, 29 November 1938, Page 8
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