EMPIRE DEFENCES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18484, 24 August 1934, Page 13

EMPIRE DEFENCES

SIR M. HANKEY’S TOUR

INVITED TO DOMINION .. INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS (Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. A notable development in the arrangements that have been proceeding since last year to strengthen tne defence forces pf the, Dominion is contained in an anripuncemen.t made by the lit. Hon. Cl. W. Forbes to-day of an invitation extended by the New Zealand Government to .Sir Maurice Hankey, secretary to the Imperial Cabinet, clerk of the Privy Council, and secretary of the Committee of Imperial Defence, to visit the Dominion after his coining visit to Australia to. confer with the Government on defence matters.

It is likely that Sir Geo. Pearce, Min- . is tor of Defence of the Commonwealth, will accompany Sir Maurice Hankey on his visit, which will take place about the middle of November. Mr. Forbes said the Government had taken advantage of the fact that Sir Maurice Hankey was to visit Australia during the forthcoming Melbourne Centenary celebrations to suggest, that he should return to England via New Zealand. Thu Government considered that, while in the Dominion, Sir Maurice could hold a series of unofficial conversations with the Cabinet- relative to the defence of New Zealand in relation to the defensive measures of the .Empire as a whole. “In the past” said Mr. Forbes. “New Zealand has invited separate opinions of: experts from all three services on defence problems—Lord Kitchener in reference to land forces, Lord Jellicoe regarding tho naval situation and lastly Sir John Salmnnd'-to advise upon the air policy of the Dominion. As, however, defence involves the use and co-operation of all three services, it is considered that the opinion of the secretary of the Committee of Imperial Defence with his wide and unique experience, is the least likely to err on the side of stressing the yaluo of any one service at the. expense of either of the other two." Til? Prime Minister gqid that the Commonwealth of Australia also proposed to take advantage of Sir Maurice Hankey’s visit to hold similar discussions. “As the problems of both Australia .and .New Zealand” remarked Mr. Forbes, “are closely related, jt is probable that .fee will fee accompanied qjt his visit to New Zealand fey Sir George Pearce, Minister of Defence of tho Commonwealth of Australia, together with tho controller general of tfec Commonwealth Munitions,Supply Board.”