PROPOSED DEFENCE CUT

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 90, 4 July 1930, Page 5

PROPOSED DEFENCE CUT

MR WAITE TAKES GOVERNMENT TJ TASK. A VIGOROUS PROTEST. EUROPE BRISTLING WITH BAYONETS. Press Association —Copyright. WELLINGTON, This Day. Tlio debate on the Address-in-Rep-lv was resumed by Mr. Waite, who vigorously protested against retrenchments in the defence force. He said ho* could claim to bo speaking for the majority of the officers, non-commissioned officers and men when ho declared that if there was to bo it defence fo r ce at all it should be adequate. He stated that Eimone was bristling with bayonets. Universal military and navy training was compulsory in Japan, while in Russia the Red army was now organised on the basis of universal service. It must be known that in the event of Britain becoming- engaged in any conflict under her international obligations New Zealand would have no other course than to offer her support. . NO LIKING FOR SOLDIERS. Mr, Waite said it had been known that tlie present attack on the soldier was bound to come because there were people who had no liking for the soldier once lie was no longer. “ALL QUIET I ’. He added that many critics wore like the author of “All Quiet on the Western Front”, who Mr. Waite believed, had never been nearer the front than a base camp. SOME 'SUGGESTIONS'. Mr. Waite contended that the cut in the defence force was one of the conditions in which the United Party held Labour’s support. H© him. self was in favour of saving expenditure on. defence, but it should not strike at the adequacy of the system. The annual camps were the most important feature of the work. He suggested that the position should be met in the following way. Eliminate camps during the present year, because of financial stringency, eliminate night parades of cadets, which did not give value for money, retain the secondary school cadets, discontinue advances to Rifle Clubs and appoint an expert from Britain and two experts from New Zealand to investigate the situation and recommend where expenditure could be saved by reorganisation of the system.