Universal Military Training May Be Costly And Dangerous Blunder, Says 2 N.Z.E.F. President

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 74, 28 July 1948, Page 5

Universal Military Training May Be Costly And Dangerous Blunder, Says 2 N.Z.E.F. President

“It is significant that such a scheme of conscription for recruit training has not been recommended by Chief of the Imperial General Staff, nor by (the ' Imperial Defence Committee. It is rather the proposal of individuals not charged with official responsibility. “It is to be hoped that the Gov'ernment will not be unduly influenc«ed to vary the essential character of the Defence scheme announced a month ago, in which the Regular ‘ Forces were paramount as thej hard core upon which, in emergency, the national defence system may be built. “First, this Association refuses to be stampeded into war hysteria for the sufficient reason that any coun- • try which mobilises for war by universal conscription destroys hope of early recovery from the war just finished. For a century and a half the nations of Europe have wasted their substance on conscription - without preventing war. The most urgent task, whether for peace or possible war, is surely the restoration .of our industrial strength and the provision of a standard of life -worth fighting for. “Second, the veterans of World War II constitute a reserve of trained personnel that will be available for a decade or more. Are we expected to believe that, in the event of war, this country will rely upon the 18-year-olds rather than upon its Kiwi strength? “Third, universal military train'ing would delay and hamper the technical development of our Regular Forces in modern scientific -techniques and would anchor national training to the beggarly ele--* ments of recruit discipline. We cannot" afford to impose on our professional officers a programme that would deny them opportunity to master the fast-developing complexities of modern warfare.

“Fourth, the emphasis of all toplevel advice is upon scientific and technical development among the Regular Forces so that, clearly, we must make the Armed Forces as a career attractive and rewarded by adequate rates of pay, conditions of service,, rehabilitation provisions, and technical equipment. ‘‘Fifth, if it be claimed that the voluntary system must fail to.satisfy the minimum requirements of personnel, the solution lies in remembering that New Zealanders are a race of civilian soldiers who will 'be attracted only to a training scheme shorn of soul-destroying routine. “It is the conviction of this Association that universal physical and recreational training would mobilise voluntarily every normal youth in the country, whose passion and genius for strenuous physical activity offers the finest basis of national fitness for peace or war. “Not that we shall thereby transform New Zealand into a fun-camp. ' Lads of 18 engaged in technical studies and trades, particularly electrical, mechanical engineering, radio and radar, and so on would be infinitely better employed thus than ' being directed into military camps under universal conscription. Physical fitness comes in leisure. “Even if it be found that conscrip- ' tion is inescapable, compulsory national selective service is the only tenable proposition, each man contributing in a planned over-all production of the food, equipment, * transport, clothing, munitions and scientific apparatus needed for mod- * ern wrafare. “This Association of young men of World War II is deeply concerned with safeguarding our heritage of freedom against any future threat, but universal military training is in our judgment more likely to undermine our real strength, waste our already strained resources, and ' prevent the emergence of an elite corps of Regular Forces qualified to train a civilian army and air force such as will be required if there is a World: War 3.”

(Special to Beacon) Wellington, July 27. “At peril of being misunderstood and misrepresented I must warn this Conference that Universal Military training may be the most costly and dangerous blunder this country could make. That at least is the considered opinion of John Henry Martin, former Consultant to the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces of U.5.A.,” Mr Kenneth Melvin, Dominion president, told the annual conference of 2 N.Z.E.F. Association which opened here today.