THE NEED OF BINOCULARS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24831, 3 February 1942, Page 4

THE NEED OF BINOCULARS

The fact that the national appeal for binoculars for use by" the armed forces is now in its, second week suggests that the, response, has so far not come up to expectations. There must be thousands of sets of these useful glasses in the country—reminders of more prosperous days when sport, particularly horseracing, was a peace-time relaxation for the average person and the importation of so-called luxury goods had not come under official prohibition. Owners of such essential military and naval equipment as binoculars and telescopes—although there may be few of the latte ( r available—have a duty to ask themselves at the moment, whether national or personal needs come first while the country is being prepared against the menace of sudden attack. The Government has not as yet spoken of compulsion as a means of securing for service use the field glasses that are so urgently required. It is probable, indeed, that no accurate estimate of the number of pairs of glasses available throughout the Dominion is possible, so that in this matter the authorities are compelled to trust to the goodwill and commonsense of owners to fill the need that has suddenly been created by emergency conditions. We believe that we are correct in stating that in Australia the compilation of a house-to-house register of ownership was undertaken last year, which would present a means of calling in for military use those types of binoculars that are deemed most suitable. Australia also is the fortunate possessor of an industry which manu-

factures optical glass of a quality equal to anything produced elsewhere.. If, however, military deficiency is to be made good in this country with the speed that the gravity of the situation in the Pacific demands, owners of glasses should not hesitate to place them at the Government's disposal, either as gifts, or under the terms of loan or purchase that are offered. Any attempt to call in, under compulsion, field glasses of the type asked for would necessarily involve the slow and laborious process of registration. Valuable time would be lost, whereas owners can perform a vital service by making binoculars in their possession immediately available in the quarters where they are being urgently sought. If this surrender were recognised as a moral, if not. actually a legal, obligation at this moment, the dangerous condition of shortage that is now causing concern to the authorities would quickly be remedied. ,; • ,