DEFENCE OF THE DOMINION

Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1930, Page 6

DEFENCE OF THE DOMINION

NECESSITY FOR PREPARATION. EX-SERVICEMEN URGED TO ACT. “What attitude do you men take up regarding the defence of your country?” asked Lieutenant-Colonel L. H. Jardine, at the reunion of ex-serviccmen in New Plymouth yesterday. He desired to put that question to them, he said, because it had occupied a foremost place in his mind for some time. He doubted very much whether any one of them was antagonistic towards measures being' taken for the defence of their country. It would be a terrible thing if men who had shed their blood and worked so hard to maintain its freedom should think in any but the highest terms of their Dominion. (Hear, hear.) They regarded it as necessary that they should insure their houses. Then why should it not be necessary to insure this country against its passing out of their hands ? The only way to effect such an insurance was to instruct the young people in the means of defence. He would not say they were wholly unprepared for the last war, but the young men took a deal of teaching. The Dominion should not go back, but forward; it should see that it was prepared for the future. Exservicemen had a right to say that there should be no lessening in the measures taken for the defence of the Dominion. (Hear, hear.)

The young men of to-day were made of as good stuff as those- who went to the war, if not better. They were keen on their training. He maintained it should be. regarded., as an honour for every man and boy to serve in the defence of liis country. “But you must teaeh them how to do it,” observed Lieutenani-Colonel Jardine. “This, is a subject for you to think about. It is a subject with which the Returned Soldiers’ Association should concern itself, and it must move in the matter.”