Public Opinion

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 116, 20 May 1942, Page 6

Public Opinion

MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS Sir.—Major Hastings, one of the 8.8. C. military commentators states in [ a recent broadcast that one of the great ; factors that contributed to the success ; of the Japanese in their land opera- [ tions was their wide use of the radio - telephone. By this means they were . able to send out detachments and i columns over widely scattered areas; keep in touch with them; know where they were; and co-ordinate them in one purpose and plan. Without radioi telephone this could not have been , done. It does appear that the Japanese, definitely uncterated by many who i have held posts of great importance, . and who have presented themselves as ; experts, have led the way in the use . of the radio-telephone in land warfare. I, for one. am grateful to Major ■ Hastings for his broadcast. It has J brought home to the people the value . of radio-telephony in war time. In the case of an invasion of this country, of ■ which the Governor-General has given • us more than one warning, the radiotelephone would be in widespread use by the enemy. He would be able to co-ordinate thereby all his attacks, as he is doing now in Burma. The question naturally arises as to what preparations are being made to meet such a possibility. Home Guard and E.P.S. units shold be equipped with radio-telephone, and should now be instructed in the use thereof. * What a calamity it would be in the case of an invasion if our units had to work in the dark while the enemy had the light of the radio-telephone to guide ■ them! It is a matter of common knowledge that radio-telephone sets can be made easily enough. What is being done about it? Let us assume that under enemy action a breakdown in the electric power system occurred, and also that telephone and telegraph communications were seriously interrupted. The difficulty of disseminating reliable news, arid of preventing false news from the enemy, under such a condition is obvious. The radioj telephone, easy of manufacture, must ’ not be neglected. It is to be noted that \ automatic telephone systems are oper- ' ated by electric power and a power ‘ breakdown might seriously interfere . with these. —I am, etc., D. SUTHERLAND.