WAR CONTINGENCIES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVI, Issue 21361, 2 June 1939, Page 13

WAR CONTINGENCIES

APPROPRIATE STEPS TAKEN

Dominion Well Prepared Mr Savage States What Has Been Done By Telegraph—Press Association CHRISTCHURCH, June 1. The Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, this evening made a further statement on the steps already taken or now being taken by the Government to prepare the Dominion against war contingencies. “It seems to me,” said Mr Savage, “that the time is now appropriate to let the public know, as far as this can be done without the disclosure of necessarily secret matters, exactly what we have done and what we are doing. I have already spoken of what has been done by and for the armed services, but the public will realise that the provision of an adequate Navy, Army and Air Force is only one of the many steps that have to be taken to prepare the country for war. The organisation of civil Departments and the co-ordination of this work with that of the armed services and, indeed, the co-ordination of the three service Departments among themselves, is at least of equal importance and involves at least an equal amount of thought and careful preparation. For this purpose the organisation for national security has been established and has been busily but quietly at work for a long time. The organisation has the

same functions and is founded on the same lines as the Committee of Imperial Defence In London. That is to say, the Prime Minister is the only permanent member and co-opts all the assistance he requires from time to time. The whole of the work of the organisation is done under the general direction and supervision of the Prime Minister’s Department. The organisation for national security reports to the Defence Council and the Defence Council in turn reports to the Cabinet, which finally decides all matters of importance and which retains throughout control of the whole work. The main function of the organisation for national security is to gather the necessary information for the preparation of the New Zealand Government War Book, the object of which is to provide orderly instructions for the guidance of all concerned on the outbreak of war and a complete central record for the co-ordination of all immediate Governmental activities in that contingency. In addition, every Department of State that will be concerned in war, including many civil Departments as well as the Navy, Army and Air Departments, must have its own individual War Book recording and setting out the steps to be taken by that particular Department. Both the New Zealand Government War Book and the Departmental War Books are so designed as to provide for appropriate action in three separate periods. (1) “When there appears to be a threat of war; (2) "During the precautionary period when war appears to be probable; (3) “When war has actually broken out. Committees At Work “It is sufficient to indicate the magnitude of the work that has been undertaken to state that under the organisation for national security more than fifty separate committees or other organisations have been at work, some of them meeting frequently and regularly. More than 400 separate committee meetings have been held, and the work has Involved the cooperation of 40 Government Departments and the services from time to time of several hundred individuals. Indeed a really remarkable amount of detailed and practical preparation has been made.

"The public will not expect me to go into details of the actual measures that are proposed. Indeed, very many of these steps are secret and must remain secret, but it might be useful to set out the type of subject that has been under consideration. Special committees consisting of the number of Departments indicated in each case have made or are making careful investigations on the following subjects: Compilation of Government War Book (12 departments); compilation of Departmental War Books (each department Individually): intelligence (four departments); emergency legislation (each department individually); mobilisation (12 departments); censorship (11 departments); man-power (11 departments) ; medical examination of recruits (four departments); guards for vital points (five departments); shipping (five departments); overseas passenger traffic (four departments); control of navigational aids (seven departments); coast watching (five departments); emergency precautions (13 departments and outside associations); publicity (11 departments); control of aliens (four departments); trading with the enemy (six departments) ; enemy property (six departments; internal transport (10 departments) ; supply (24 departments);

broadcasting (seven departments); communication facilities in an emergency (four departments); overseas telegraphic correspondence (14 departments) ; internal telegraphic correspondence (14 departments); meteorological reports (eight departments); mapping (nine departments); compensation for damage caused by enemy action (four departments); priority of printing (12 departments); provision of accommodation for extra staff (three departments). Co-ordination of Activities “It will be realised that on nearly all these subjects the work involved requires the collaboration not only of the civil departments concerned, but also of one or all of the armed services. Indeed, on the principal committees, e.g., the War Book Committee, the Chief of General Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff and the Chief of Air Staff are themselves members collaborating regularly for this purpose with the permanent heads of the civil departments concerned. The Chiefs of Staff Committee of Organisation for National Security, which also meets frequently, acts under the Minister of Defence as a means of co-ordinating the activities among themselves of the three armed services. In many cases, also, the work has necessitated the assistance and advice of outside organisations which always has been freely and willingly extended, and for which the Government is most grateful. Supply “For the consideration of the important subject of supply, a very comprehensive organisation exists under the general direction of the Department of Industries and Commerce with separate committees dealing with national supply (24 depts.) supply control (12 depts.) service supply (four depts.) buildings production (six depts.) factory production (five depts.) foodstuffs control (six depts.) medical supplies (five depts.) mining production (five depts.) oil supplies (12 depts.) overseas trade (five depts.) price control (four depts.) primary industries (five depts.) production and distribution of electricity (two depts.) standards (six depts.) sugar control (four depts.) timber control and woodwork production (four depts.) transport industry (five depts.) wheat and flour control (one dept.). In very many of these subjects the work involved has necessitated consultation and collaboration with representatives of the industries concerned. Work Not Yet Completed “I do not wish to give the Impression that the whole of the work involved has been completed, but I can assure the public that the work has made rapid and satisfactory progress. Careful thought has been and is being directed to all necessary steps that would be required on the outbreak of hostilities. All portions of the Government war book that are essential for immediate action have been completed and approved. Detailed instructions have been prepared and recorded and these, with the necessary Bills, Orders-in-Council, regulations, etc., are actually printed and held ready for action at a moment’s notice. Should the worst happen the machinery of Government could now turn from a peace basis to a war basis without unnecessary confusion and without the necessity in a time of emergency of pausing to think out what immediate steps should be taken. There is much detailed work yet to do, but the whole field has been surveyed and what remains to be done is clearly known and will be expedited to the utmost degree possible. I should like to point out also that the work involved in the preparation of these war books is never finally completed, for the documents require and are given regular and frequent revision as circumstances demand. Emergency Precautions “I wish to make special reference to the Emergency Precautions Committee which, under the control of the Department of Internal Affairs, is charged with the co-ordination of activities in this connection of the local bodies concerned who must be primarily responsible for the actual steps taken. A detailed scheme suggesting the steps which should be taken by local authorities for the protection of the civil population against disorganisation has been prepared and circulated to local authorities, and it is the intention to make a special effort to complete this work (which has the added advantage of being applicable in times of natural disturbance, e.g., earthquake as well as in time of war) as rapidly as possible. I accordingly urge all local authorities to collaborate to the utmost extent in this matter with the Department of Internal Affairs. “I should like to add, also, that after the most careful consideration and with the benefit of the best expert advice available in this country and from abroad, the Government is convinced that there is no necessity in the present circumstances for any undue apprehension as to the safety of the civilian population. While the situation will be kept carefully under review there is no present need in spite of the views so often expressed by people who are not familiar with the facts, for the provision of gas masks for the civilian population as a whole or for plans for the evacuation of civilians from the main centres, or for shelters either in the form of trenches, special ‘dugouts,’ strengthened buildings or specially prepared erections for protection against bombing from the air or bombardment from the sea. This is the unanimous opinion of every individual whose view on the matter is worth taking, and the people of New Zealand will readily realise that the circumstances in this Dominion are totally different from those, for example, in the United Kingdom. Those precautions that are considered prudent are set out in the Government’s draft scheme of emergency precautions already referred to. No Cause For Apprehension “I think I have said enough to assure the public that the Government is not asleep, and that so far as is humanly possible in the time and with the resources at their disposal they have taken and are taking every possible step to meet any eventuality that may arise. At the same time I should like to repeat what I said in my broadcast a few days ago, that although the international situation is bad, it is no worse than it has been

for some time past, and that the Government, while forc.ed to take a realistic view of the situation, can see no necessity for undue apprehension and certainly no reason for undue despondency over what the future has in store. While war may be possible, and we must prepare for it, it is still my view that commonsense and international decency will prevail, and I have by no means lost hope that a long period of peace will enable us to carry out in New Zealand the tasks which we were primarily elected to perform.”