FATEFUL DECISION AHEAD

Chronicle (Levin), 21 June 1949, Page 5

FATEFUL DECISION AHEAD

Pre$$ AspocicLtion 1

R.S.A. President Eraphasises Gravity Of Keferendnm

(per

W E-MUIN uiV|N , dune zi, Tbe beijex tb.at New Zeaianq gouia uot gitfier in peqce op wa®: raise adequaLe forqes •- under tne voiuntary sygtem was exprtssed by the Pommipn presiaenx, Sir Howard Kippenberger, in openirig to'day's annual •com'erence of tiie N.Z.R.S-A. -v i •> ixeiening to the forthcoming refeiendum, on compu.sory sMvice, Sir Howard said tnat no issue oi eomparable gravity had ever been piaced before the country and ihe consequences of faiiure to get an afflrma'Ave vote were too ghasriy to contemp ate. "It is not an exaggeration to say tfiat it shouid then oecome impossib^e for New Zeaiand to maintain "armed forces of any vaiue, imposr sibie for the country 'to p.ay its part as a member of tne Brjtish Commonwealth and impossible foiour own defence overseas or within New Zealand to be effective,y qarried out. The extinction of ChyiS" tian civi isation in this favoured land is not too> ' remote a cohse- ' quenco. .We would be like fat lamrys to" be provecte^ or devoured as suited other peoples and governments." Uni.ortunately, accord between the Allies which had defeated the Axis powers had comp.efely broken down, he said, and it was obyious that New Zea and was faced with tremendous dangers, with at the very iqast a iong unsettied period, It had always been the associatipn's coneern that New Zealand's armed forces shouid be properly main--ained and capable of taking their part in the defence of New Zealanu and the British Commonweaith, and since 1938 the association had constant y reaffirmed the desirability of compulspry military service, Very Grave Hour. yhe association welcomed the Government's intention, as announced by Mr. Fraser, to provide adequate forces and, if necessary, introduice compuisory service. It also noted with satisfaction the support offered by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Holland. The association, however, regretted the decision to hold a referendum, holding that the matter shou'd be decided by Psrliament. He hoped that the eonferenee would unequivocally support the executive's attitude and authorise it to take all possible action to assist in obtaining an affirmatiye decision in the referendum. "This is a very grave hour in the history of this country and a most fateful decision has to be made," he concluded.