MANPOWER FOR WAR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 33, 8 February 1941, Page 6

MANPOWER FOR WAR

NEW ZEALAND’S OBJECTIVE BY 1944 STATEMENT BY MR. COATES I British Official Wireless, j CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 7. , An objective in manpower for over- ; seas and home defence for New' Zea- ! land, to be reached by 1944, was dei failed by the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, a member of the War Cabinet, to members of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce to-day. The call on manpower, he said, would be greater than in the last war, while provision would have to be made for the supply of goods and materials, previously imported. for the armed forces, as well as for the civilian population. Definite responsibility rested on the shoulders of everybody in the country but no difficult could be allow'ed to stand in the way of the war effort. In four years of the last war New' Zealand mobilised for overseas 124,000 men, of whom 100,000 were overseas or on the water when the war ended. Figures of additional men who would be mobilised in New Zealand for overseas service by the end of 1944 were quoted by Mr. Coates, who said that many thousands would be mobilised by then for home defence. As compared with the last war there were several entirely different factors making a stronger call on manpower for overseas and home defence. The Expeditionary Force had to be maintained, and, in addition, between 7000 and 8000 men were drawn out of manpower every year for the Air Force, and approximately 2000 men, youths, technicians and artisans, were I required for naval purposes. Obliga- ' tions on the youth of the country : were heavier than in the last war. ‘ Our objective of manpower for the i Army can only be achieved by the utilisation of men who may not be so fit in industry, and also by a very strong dilution of workmen. These are points which, in the last war, did not affect us to anything like the same extent. The call for youth in the Air Force and Navy has put an extra strain on those lads between the ages of 19 and 21.”

New Zealand's internal position in the 1914-18 war and in the present war was also compared by Mr. Coates. The Ministry of Shipping had already shortened the tonnage for goods for the Dominion. "That means that New Zealand will not have several millions of pounds of goods,” he said. "You just won't have them. That is all there is about it. We have lost ships, and we have raiders at large in the South Pacific. How many, we do not know.

“Every ship has to be escorted in and out of our country. That should bring home to you that the position is not as pleasant as it could be. Ln addition to manpower for the three services overseas, we have to organise home defence to a point where it can take the field. Already 7000 men are under training. We are forced back to another factor. We have to provide in our own country the material, goods and funds, which we are unable to get from overseas by reasons of restrictions on shipping, and the safety of shipping.” | For some weeks past, said Mr. | Coates, he and his colleagues of the War Cabinet had been investigating the reserves of manpower available, so that instead of being caught on the "hop,” they could automatically work to an objective of four years. They were trying to arrange the flow of manpower for the services, and the replacement of that manpower in industry, and were designating the im- j portant industries. He hoped the War Cabinet would be able to ask those men responsible for running industry to look at the situation thoroughly and show how it could be done. They might have to go even further than that. It might be necessary to direct certain employees from one industry to another. New Zealand was being pushed back to a point where it had to play its part in the conflict, and at the same time provide for its own defence and for its own people. It was awkward, he would admit, but no difficulty must be allowed to stand in the way of achievement of the objective. In Britain a great proportion of the national income was going to the provision of defence. At Home, -and in different theatres of war, New' Zealand had to play its part and emulate the great example set t>y Britain. That was the ticklish problem which confronted the Dominion.