THREAT OF VIOLENCE

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20786, 22 April 1939, Page 23 (Supplement)

THREAT OF VIOLENCE

WORLD=WiDE UNREST NEW ZEALAND’S POSITION I THE PERIL THAT -MAY COME Thanks to the Munich agreement in September last, the British Empire, F’rance and the United States have been given a respite in which to prepare for the next crisis, which may come soon and may result in war. Six months have elapsed since the world stood on the brink of the abyss which might have engulfed it. It is expected by many competent authorities that the next major issue will arise for settlement this yearIt has been published broadcast throughout the world that when the issue of peace or war came up for decision in September. Great Britain was far from being ready, notwithstanding that her prodigious scale of rearmament had already been in progress then for close upon two years. Theve were too many shortcomings in Britain's defences to allow of her position being regarded as in any way satisfactory. Since then Britain's colossal prog,ruiime has been accelerated, and inu.di has been done to rectify the previous omissions. France las acted likewise, even enforcing a 60-hour week where that is found to be necessary. Australia, too, has taken time by the forelock, and has entered upon a national defence programme costing at least £63,000.000 in three years, and is endeavouring to raise the strength of her citizen force from 30,000 to 70,000. America also has at last aroused herself, and is entering upon a prodigious programme of j rearmament. This is all to the good- ! j Germany’s Rising Strength On the other hand, the cables inform us that, while the unemployed in Great Britain number close on •2.000,000 and those in America fully 12.000,000. Germany lias adopted the j 10-hour day, that there are no un- j employed in Germany, and that Ger- j many has even had to import hundreds ] ! of thousands of labourers from neighbouring States. Remembering that the production of munitions by the Central Powers during 1914-18 practically equalled that of the whole of ’ the rest of the world put together, these facts regarding Germany's short- ' age of labour and increased working hours cannot be regarded as other ’ than disturbing. They are rendered all the more significant when it is ! pointed out that the remarkable pro- 1 duction by the Central Powers in ( 1914-18 was achieved in spite of their 1 being deprived of access to the j world's supply of raw materials, while ‘ the Allies had unrestricted access to * them, and that this handicap does not * prevail to anything like the same ex- - 1 tent now. J What it means was fully conveyed r in the reiccnt declaration by the French s Prime Minister, that while it took 18 months to build a submarine in France, in Germany only eight months were required. \ These are not pleasant facts, but r they must be faced. There are, un- c fortunately, still more unpleasant r truths to follow. Sin-co March last, i when Mr Chamberlain warned the Em- \ pire that in the next war Britain might g be too fully engaged in defending her g own existence to be abie to protect c her possessions overseas, Germany has i greatly increased her territory, and t thereby has added considerably to her c actual and potential military strength. At the same time she has added another year's quota to her own trained military reserves. Now on top of all this she has entered u-pon a greatly ( accelerated programme of arms pro- . duction, notably in the manufacture of aeroplanes, in the building of sub- j marines, in completing her "Siegfried , Line" on l her Western frontier, and in . doubling the 'K'iel Canal. 1 Powers Under Her Sway Politically, Hungary has signed the : Anti-Comintern Pact, linking her up f with the Berlin-Rome-Tokio axis. < Militarily, Hungary and Poland have i acted in concert with her in dividing i up the former State of Gzechoslqva- ' kia- Navally, Japan announces that i she is building up to parity with Bri- ! tain and America. •Can anyone say in the light of these facts that since September last the position of the British Empire, France and America has altered to their advantage? Is the menace greater now or less? No one can say definitely one way or the other, but if the menlace is greater now' than the peril of the situation forecast by Mr Chamberlain in March, 1938, the sooner New Zealand places herself in a posiI tion adequately to defend herself the better. I The present Government deserves ! full credit for what it has done durI ing its term of office in improving New j Zealand'6 defensive system. But, unI fortunately, in a democratic country, in matters of defence no Government can go ahead of public opinion. Much has been done by the Government in developing the Air Force, something has been done for the Navy, but little, very little, has been done for the Army. Yet in the event of a crisis arising such as Mr Chamberlain has envisaged, the. Army is the ultimate force upon which New Zealand may have to depend for her existence. Establishment Still the Same The plain truth is that the present j peace establishment of the New Zea- i land Territorial Force was laid down at 9000 when we depended upon Geneva for our security, and it has remained unaltered ever since, notwithstanding the fate of Manohukuo. Abyssinia and China, notwithstanding Mr Chamberlain’s warning in March last year and the immediate fate of Austria, and notwithstanding the September crisis and the subsequent fate of Czechoslovakia and Me-mel. While this cannot be viewed with any satisfaction, it is reassuring to know that, on the initiative of the New Zealand Government, a conference between representatives of Great Britain. Australia and New Zea la mi will assemble at Wellington on April 14 to consider the question of defence in the Southern Pacific. Meanwhile the anvils of Mars are ringing in Europe, Asia and America as never before. So great is the clangour and so ominous the outlook that a strong agitation is now proreeding in Britain for the immediate introduction of compulsory military training there- There is similar need

for it In New Zealand to meet the establishment required, and. whatever may be the outcome of the defence conference. this must, b pressed for by all New Zenlander.s who have the welfare and safety of -their countryjat Ticart. _