ATTITUDE TO DEFENCE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19099, 21 August 1936, Page 12

ATTITUDE TO DEFENCE

POSITION IN AUSTRALIA LITTLE INTEREST TAKEN The extraordinary indifference of the Australian - Government and- people to the question of defence was commented upon by Hr.' Cf; \V. Warnecke, editor-in-chief of Consolidated Press, Limited, Sydney, who arrived at Auckland early this week on a short visit to„ New Zealand. Defence in Australia was, almost a dead issue, Mr. ,\Yarhecke ' saidr It appeared that more attention was,'given to the subject in NewZealaud, however, ■ - ■ ' ' “Not the slightest interest was taken in Sydney recently w’heti JR.M.A.S. Canberra and the newly constructed H.iI.A.S. Sydney arrived from service in the Mediterranean,” said Mr.-Wani-ecke. “There were no crowds, no flags or no big welcomes.. It was just like an ordinary tramp steamer arriving. Leading oficers in, the Australian Navy advocated a greater public, pride in the country’s ships and pointed out that they were as good as any of their type in the world', said Mr. Warnecke. No one appeared to be interested, however. The public either felt it lived in complete security or could rely on the British Navy. At all -events there was such disgust at the war-mongering in the rest of the world, and such an anti-war feeling, that there appeared to be a reaction against defence. Mr. Wamecke said Australia had no settled policy for co-ordinating the various defence services. Obsolete equipment was being used by the army for Gaining purposes, and 1 , to his knowledge; not one of a certain type of modern gun introduced in England two years ago had been imported. Certainly a good deal of civil flying was done, but the country was fairly airminded. Mr. Warnecke also admitted that the Australian- defence vote had recently been increased. There was no fear of a Japanese invasion, Mr. Wamecke added. Should an attack be made, however, there was a vague feeling that the United States fleet, besides the British fleet, would come to the country’s aid. Japan was occupied' with China and it would tie 50 years before her hold there was secure, so there were 50 years of security ahead of Australia. . - • ■*-- • - ' ’