790.5/11–253
Report by the Army Attache in New Zealand (Hearne) to the Department of the Army1
Results Of Visit By Chief Of Imperial General Staff To Australia And New Zealand
Field Marshal Sir John Harding, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, returned to England last week after visiting Australia and New Zealand and conferring with the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Services of those countries. (See R–248–53 and R–268–53, this office, for prior information on this subject.2)
The principal talks were held, and decisions made, in Melbourne, and the visit to New Zealand was more in the nature of a courtesy call, although the Field Marshal did take advantage of the opportunity to confer privately with the Prime Minister and Cabinet while in Wellington.
Decisions reached at Melbourne were based on the general assumption of the existence of a state of general war, and no decisions were made or commitments pledged in the event of future piece-meal aggression of the Korea type and short of Russian overt belligerency. The decisions are as follows: (1) The New Zealand ground forces commitment remains unchanged, i.e., the Middle East; (2) the Royal New Zealand Air Force commitment is Malaya; (3) the Royal New Zealand Navy commitment is Australasian waters (no change); (4) the Australian ground forces commitment is now Malaya, whereas in the past the traditional theater has been [Page 352] the Middle East; (5) the Australian Air Force commitment is Malaya; and (6) the Australian Navy commitment is Australasian waters.
No additional staff or liaison structure was planned (R–248–53 contains speculation that such might evolve), nor were any changes in unit organizational structure made.
While in Wellington Field Marshal Harding had a private discussion with the Prime Minister and Cabinet. He emphasized to them the importance of continuing preparedness, and in this connection he pointed out that men or units without sufficient or proper equipment cannot be considered as being prepared. He therefore suggested the advisability of re-evaluating some of the base troop units (heavy ordnance repair shops and the like) with a view towards eliminating any such units which might be found incapable of being properly equipped under present budget limitations.
My informant, who is a principal long-term planning officer of the Army General Staff, is of the opinion that the talks were beneficial, and that the Cabinet session was of considerable value in keeping the Government defense-conscious. On the other hand, he is also of the opinion that the basic assumption of general war was unrealistic, i.e., that discussions should have been held also with respect to conditions short of general war—that there may be a number of “Korean incidents” in South East Asia without involving overt Russian belligerency. He therefore is of the opinion that the Five Power Conference on Defense of South East Asia must continue its work, and that it will continue to be the most important conference, from the military viewpoint, in which New Zealand participates.