Defence Outweighs Politics, Says Mr. Holland

Chronicle (Levin), 11 June 1949, Page 5

Defence Outweighs Politics, Says Mr. Holland

The issues involved in the referendum were far inore important than party politics, said the -Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Holland) , outiining, in a recent address in Dunedin, the ffctittaSe of th'e National Party to the ffirthcoming poll on the national service Issue. Appealing to the public to work for and vote for the carrying of universal training, Mr. HolLand declared that unless New Zeaiand were prepared to def end herself there was a very grave danger that there woiild be no party politics, no Government, and no Opposition. ... . 1 "There is considerable political capital to be made out of recent events in Wellington, but for the moment I much prefer to further the case for an adequate defence svstem," he said. . ' ' Normally I should have occupied tlie whole of ray time tonight giving you mv views why I think there should be a change of Government. Tmportant thou^i a change may be, there is something more important still,t and that is the question of tlie seeurity of our country and its people. Possessed by a considerable aniount of inside informatoin, much of which is only available on the liighest level of seereey, the Prime Minister has eonvinced himself of the need for the launching of a comprehensive scheme of military training, which cannot be obtaineu under the voluntary system. A 'Yes' Answer "Mr. Fraser eonvinced his entire Cabinet and all but one of his Parliamentarv members of the need and urgencv of the problem," Mr. Holland said. "-But because of eircumstances that I do not propose to go into !onight, the Governinent lias deeided to submit the question to a referendum of the people. The matter is of sucli importance and such urgencv that I propose using every • opportunitv of urging upon the people it is my pvivi lege to address the importance of en-F-nring a ''Yes' answer at the referendum. "I think we would only do the cause Larm bv exaggeration or bv trying to scare the people, but all of us will be doxng less than our dntv unless we calmlv study the situation. "YTe cannot honestly elaim that the peace of the world is assured," he said. "We cannot close onr eves to the fact that one nation, with an entirely opposing philosophy and ideology, has reached out and is still reaching out, swallowing up other countries and extending its bonndaries' in all directions. We cannot be blind to the faet that (he same nation has its fifth column and organisation of fellow travellers in evorv other country." Tn his view, said. Mr. Holland, the greatest service New Zeaiand could perform in the stniggle for peace was in the preparation of forces that would dissuade the aggressor that any further encroachments-' would not succeed To leave ourselves ' tinprepared and defenceless would be a betrayal of oui own people and of the British Empire. "New Zeaiand is quite unable to de--fend herself without outside assistance, and we cannot, in good cou science, leave our defence to hard pressed Britain and we dare not look tc America if we are unprepared to do oui sliare in our own defence," he said.