The Southland Times. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1938. New Zealand’s Dream Of Security

Southland Times, Issue 23678, 29 November 1938, Page 6

The Southland Times. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1938. New Zealand’s Dream Of Security

It is hard to believe that the Minister of Defence really feels the rock-like equanimity which seems to underlie his occasional statements on the measures now being undertaken, or vaguely planned, for the protection of New Zealand in a time of emergency. He speaks of aeroplane deliveries that are “expected” to take place at the end of next year, as if time were of no consequence in the race to avoid the penalties of past omissions and delays; and at Christchurch he said yesterday that the Government thinks the territorial force now being trained is “quite adequate.” “After all, he explained, “it is a peace-time force which could be rapidly expanded in the event of an emergency. Our aim is to give the best training possible to prepare potential leaders who could train others if this was necessary.” The point which seems to have been missed by Mr Jones and his colleagues in the Cabinet is that in the present state of world politics the gulf between peace and war is extremely narrow, and that if it is bridged by some final act of aggression the process will be carried out with a terrible swiftness. There will be no time then to sort out the “potential leaders” and create a citizen army capable of defending these shores if the first line of defence proved inadequate. It is only a few weeks since the British Empire was badly scared, and in every comer .of it except New Zealand the lesson has been taken to heart. ’As if to point the moral, British bombers recently flew from Egypt to Darwin—over 7000 miles—in approximately 48 hours. There has been a shrinkage in distances which formerly seemed to promise an inviolable security. The Minister also said that the Government is well posted with information, and proceeded to speak as if he had failed to grasp the significance of the facts that have been placed before him. He spoke of “a substantial basis for the view that the scope of attack on either New Zealand or Australia could not be more than a raid.” This viewpoint, he added, was supported by the Home authorities “as recently as the last Imperial Conference.” This was almost exactly 18 months ago, and to look backwards to the month of May. in 1937 from this side of the European crisis is to receive a painful impression of deterioration in world affairs. There have been more changes—and all for the worst —in these 18 months than in the five preceding years, and they were by no means tranquil. Austria has become part of Germany; Czechoslovakia has been robbed of much territory and all her independence; anti-aircraft batteries have been set up around London in readiness for bombers that nearly came; and the whole shape of European—and world—strategy has been changed almost overnight. Must we wait for another Imperial Conference before the New Zealand Government realizes that there is a smell of danger in the air, and that if war comes there will be enemies to snatch what they can from the outlying parts of the British Empire? There is indeed a school of military thought which dismisses the possibility of any form of attack other than a raid against these coasts. But the military mind is notorious for its preoccupation with what is known and proved in actual experience: it dislikes theory that cannot be found in the text books, and is suspicious of sudden change. In Australia they are closer to realities. “Australia is a large country,” said Mr Jones, “and to protect her long coastline against the possibility of attack by a raider a much larger force is required.” But a message from Sydney, printed on Friday, told a different stpry. “In the past,” stated the Canberra correspondent of The Sydney Morning Herald, after reporting a new and greatly expanded defence programme, “it has been assumed Australia’s danger would lie in coastal raids and attacks on seaborne trade. Now it is admitted that the possibility of invasion cannot be ignored.” Presumably the New Zealand Government is still “in the past.” There have been too many signs in recent months that it is inflexibly resolved to stay there until the sound of gun-fire brings a sharp awakening from the dreams of Utopia.