“GIANT PINCERS”

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 64, Issue 4535, 11 February 1942, Page 5

“GIANT PINCERS”

JAPAN’S SOUTHWARD DRIVE OUR IMMINENT DANGER “The.. Courier .is in receipt of the following- memorandum issued by Mill. G. C. McCaul, past President of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce:— “We are thinking seriously and talking about many things that are important—very important—but today, when we can no longer rely upon Singapore as.’ a barrier to Japanese invasion, all these things that appeared vital then, and were of the utmost importance then, simply fade into Insignificance now we are face to face with the likelihood of invasion. “I do not regret one man or one gun that we have sent abroad-for the defence of Great Britain, Egypt and the Pacific, for at that time our line of defence was in those places. Today conditions are entirely different. Singapore, our traditional defence against invasion by Japan, is no longer available as a base for the British Fleet. Our former bastion of defence is like a broken sword in the hand of a warrior faced by his foe. -■ “Many think that Japan has more | important matters to think of than New Zealand. Admitted, New Zealand for herself is not worth Japan troubling about now; but if Japan desires to isolate Australia and cut off food supplies from Great Britain, her obvious; method is to seize New Zealand and a base in Tasmania. Look at the map; she has reached New Guinea. The next steps are New Caledonia, New Zealand and Tasmania. Then Australia will be held in a giant pincer.

“All our present thoughts appear to be directed towards slit trench protection for civilian's. A civilian casualty list is of little, real account when compared with the military defence of the country. -(‘lf we wish to save our country from invasion, and do our job by the Empire, New Zealand must be defended by an efficient army, and it must be prepared now. A division fully equipped with tanks, bombers, fighters and all the modern appurtenances of. war must be established quickly in each island, or we will be too late, for all except mutual recriminations. The people of this country must speak with one voice on the subject of our adequate defence in this imminent danger, or bear their share of the blame for their wilful blindness and complacency.”