"SHAKY" DEFENCES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 13, 16 January 1936, Page 3

"SHAKY" DEFENCES

HOW TO POSTPONE WAR DOUBTS ABOUT LEAGUE. The view that if sufficient money was spent on the defence forces to provide “reasonable security” war might be postponed “for ten years” was expressed by Lieutenant-General Sir Walter Kirke, General Officer Com-manding-in-Cliief, Western Command, when he spoke at the annual prize distribution of the (itli-7th Battalion the Manchester Regiment recently, reports the Manchester Guardian. “We have recently had a series of rather nasty shocks, of which the latest is the attack on the independence of Abyssinia,” said Sir Walter. “For some years past we have been doped by .-ill kinds of propaganda, some of it well meant, but all tending to weaken the fibre of the nation to face hard facts. “Wo have been told if we renounced war everybody else w r ould do so too; if we disarmed our example would be followed ami no one would want to attack anyone else. We have awakened to find that there is not a vestige of truth in his and that our defences are extremely shaky. That is very dangerous. Warning of Abyssinia. “Had Abyssinia been reasonably well armed, does anyone suppose that Mussolini would have selected her as a suitable object for trying his new army Compared with other possibilities looming on the horizon this 1 talian-Abyssiuian war is only a trifling affair, but it cccnis fairly clear that if the League of Nations could not prevent it we should be very unwise to place all our trust in Geneva for our own protection. “The fact is that it is no service to the cause of peace to leave valuable property insull'ciently guarded. On the contrary, it is an incitement to war. We are going to spend very large fcums of money on improving roads. This, no doubt, will provide muchneeded employment, but it will net postpone the next war by ten days, nor even ten minutes. Money spent nn providing what is required to give us reasonable security may postpone war for ten years, and give juet as much employment.” This country, said Sir Balter, led the world in social services of all kinds, but all social schemes depended on peace and security. It seemed, therefore, to be absolutely essential that this vital question of defence should be lifted above the sphere of party politics. Security was a matter of life and death to everyone and the responsibility for its maintenance rested on all parties. “We do not want to muddle through another * war after fearful losses. We must be strong enough to make it too risky for anyone to start a, war without paying due attention to our deep desire for peace,” he added.

Air Defence. In this question of eccurity the Ter rite-rial Army played an important part, It was entirely responsible for the coast defences and fur the even more vital defence against air attack. He hoped and expected that in the next few years there would be a great expansion and improvement in the country’s defence arrangement against air attack, which was a matter of urgent necessity. Referring to the fact that the strength of the battalion was not up to establishment, Sir Waiter suggested to those who were out of work that in lhe territorial Army “they can maintain their morale by performing a uuflul and essential service, which is shirked by many who are more fortunately placed. ’ Lieutenant-Cclonel J. S. Whitehead, commanding officer of the battalion, who presided, said they were short of establishment by four officers and 92 other raukc. A shortage was not peculiar to this battalion. There was a need for more recruits in various units of the division. He appealed to employers ami foremen to encourage ( members of the staff to join thp Territorial Army. Foremen in particular could be helpful. He had frequently heard of cases where the directors of a company approved of their men serving but were not aware of the difficulties put in the way of those who were willing to do so by foremen who were not interested in the Territorial Army.