DEFENCE FIRST

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19894, 23 March 1939, Page 6

DEFENCE FIRST

NEW ZEALAND’S PART SUPPORT FOR BRITAIN NATIONAL PARTY’S CALL HELP FOR GOVERNMENT (Per Pross Association.) HASTINGS, this day. Any action that the New Zealand Government takes to support Britain in her attitude to the problems of defence has the whole-hearted support of every member of the National Party, said the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Adam Hamilton, in a statement at Hastings yesterday, when he passed through in continuation of his North Island tour. “It is in times such as these that the policy must be clearly defined. Our* people are united in their determination to support British policy in meeting one of the gravest international situations in history,” he continued. “Preparedness has become essential and to that preparedness the people must contribute with thought and action. So that the Government may know that It speaks with the support of all parties when it discusses defence and a programme of complete co-operation with Britain, I make this statement. Gratitude to Britain “Naturally we all hope that the efforts to preserve world peace will be successful, and we owe a deep debt of gratitude to the statesmen who are steering British foreign policy to-day. Never has the unity of the Empire been more necessary. New Zealand must be prepared to play its part to the full, as she has done in the past. The urgency of the question is, by comparison, as great in New Zealand as it is in Britain. Make no'mistake. Britain has tried disarmament to the point of taking a grave risk, but world support for a great ideal faded and the British policy of rearmament has now held a leading place during the past few years.

1 “It should not be forgotten in New ’ Zealand that, following the lead of 1 Britain at the time, previous Governments also pursued a policy of dis--1 armament, and as a result we reduced our own preparedness to the level of grave risk. No good will come from ' shirking our responsibilities now for very rapid action. Without in any way failing to appreciate the efforts that have already been made by the 1 Government, I think that the people : should be aware than agreement of ; thought is not sufficient to-day. We 1 must have action —equipment, men and material. As part of the British Empire we must ask ourselves: ‘Are we doing our fair share?’ I wish to see the people of New Zealand roused to a real and practical appreciation of the national responsibilities. National Security “The National Party is prepared to stand strongly behind the Government in any frank approach it makes to the position. National security possibly has a prior claim to social security, and in considering the position from this angle, defence would more likely assume its correct place in the public mind. We have to avoid doing anything that will tend to build a soft nation. Those dealing with the administration of the country to-day would be guilty of culpable negligence if they allowed the country ro become ill-equipped for its own defence. Moral fibre and character are just as important among our people as war materials and training. In the process of that equipping the two firstmentioned qualities are never the result of easy living or of concentration on material things. “I think we should all realise to-day that, after the bitter experiences of disarmament, a well-prepared, welldefended British Empire is perhaps the best safeguard for world peace that we have.” PACIFIC CONFERENCE ASSEMBLY IN APRIL DELEGATES NAMED (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. The Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, states that arrangements have been completed for the opening of the Pacific conference in Wellington on Friday, April 14. His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom will be represented bv their High Commissioner in New Zealand, Sir Harry Batterbee, the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific, Sir Harry Luke, Vice-Admiral Sir Ragnar Colvin, Major-General P. J. Mackesy, and Air Marshal Sir Arthur Longmore. His Majesty’s Government in the Commonwealth of Australia will be represented by Vice-Admiral Sir Ragnar Colvin, who will represent Australia as well as the United Kingdom, Colonel V. A. R. Sturdee and Wing-Commander G. Jones. The New Zealand Government will be represented by members of the Council of Defence and, in addition, by the Minister and Secretary for Industries and Commerce, the Controller of Civil Aviation, and such other officials as the circumstances may require. *