DEFENCE SYSTEM

Southland Times, Issue 21823, 28 September 1932, Page 7

DEFENCE SYSTEM

TRAINING OF OFFICERS. IMPERIAL KNOWLEDGE INVALUABLE. (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, September 27. A special plea for an increased expenditure on the Defence system in New Zealand to enable an officer to be sent to an overseas Military College was made by Mr J. Hargest, M.P., in the House this afternoon while speaking on the report of the General Officer Commanding the Defence Forces of New Zealand. It was deplorable that nothing was being done to give Dominion officers the opportunity to secure the latest knowledge in military affairs, Mr Hargest said, because the value of the training being carried out at the present time largely depended on their being kept up to date. “Our ability to go to the assistance of the Empire in 1914 with so little delay was due to the fact that we had had Imperial officers here fo train us,” he said. Continuing, he said that he was of the opinion that New Zealand should have at least one representative in a military college overseas. The Government had sent Colonel Thoms to England at the expense of .£3200 and had then dispensed With his services. That money had been lost to the Dominion but he hoped the Minister of Defence (the Hon. J. G. Cobbe) would make an effort to send another officer at an early date so that new ideas could be brought to New Zealand. The department was to be congratulated on the success of the voluntary scheme, he said, but the status of the volunteer forces should be raised.

At this stage his remarks were interrupted by the rising of the House for the tea adjournment.