PHYSICALLY FIT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 131, 27 February 1919, Page 5

PHYSICALLY FIT

GOVERNMENT'S PLANS FOR CITIZEN DEVELOPMENT SPEECH BY SIR JAMES ALLEN Speaking at the reception given by the Women's National fiescrve to the mothers of soldiers fud sailors yesterday, Sir James Allen (Minister of Defence) said he hoped that tho League oi Nations would be such a league as would make the horror of the past four and a half years impossible of repetition. He did not think that the nations would agree to disarm, and ielt that if our own country should ever be called upon to defend itself it should be in a position to do it. Hβ realised that we would never be found lacking the courage, but wo might be found unprepared. Sir James Allen referred to the large number of men found to be physically unfit, and urged the necessity for remedying such a state of affairs. Everything poaeible should be dene to make men physically n't, not that they might take up arms, but that they might bo efficient in civilian life. He *elt that during the war this , countrv' showed something more than loyalty. When called to make enormous sacrifices the spirit 6nown by the people had been one of faith in their country, in themselves, and in the race. When it was deemed necessary to bring forward a .scheme for compulsory military service, no country accepted the Act more readily than New Zealand, which 6howed not only confidence in the Act, but also in the machinery used to carry it out. He believed'that the military service boards had the confidence of the public generally. He would quote what two of the chairmen of These boards had said when" asked what lesson they carried with them from their work. One said that the bravest souls who faced the board had been women. They had surrendered brothers, husband", and eons because they felt that nothing must interfere i> ith their duty to their country. The other said that the members of the. board would never forget the glorious spirit of women who had bravely- withdrawn their .applications rather than jeopardise their country in her hour cf peril. Sir James added -that whilst this spirit lasted we need have no fear for. the welfare of our country. The epeaker touched shortly upon ftf-ter-war problems of reconstruction, and upon the levelling (ffecfc of the war in so far as that men who had fought and suffered together' had a spirit of comradeship, brotherhood, self-sacrifice, and friendship that nothing could kill. General Eussell had Eaid: "We must keep alive the spirit of each for all." In tlifo he felt that no influence was so potent as women's influence, and he would ask them to use that influence towards inakinc what we all desired, a healthier, brighter, and more intelligent people. The Defence Department thoroughly appreciated all that the women had done to help the soldiers. Ho felt that they had worked very hard and waa sure that in hard work had been the anodyne for their suffering. He felt that the women had done mucji to place the Empire where it was to-day; Sir .Tomes Allen was warmly applauded at the conclusion of his address, and frequently throughout. The Hon. G. W. Russell said that he was in complete agreement with all that Sir James Allen had said regarding the need for improving the degree of physical fitness of the young men, but he not only wanted to eee stalwart and fit young men, but young women also. In order to have a healthy race of men and women we must, he said, start with the cradle and lay n sound foundation. During the period remaining to him as Minister of Public Health he was going to do all he could to make each a principle sound and sure. He pointed out that much was done by supporting the Plunkot Society, and also by St. Helens Hospitals. But more must be done by education, and the country must make up it* mind to spend tho money necessary. He was of opinion that the Agricultural Department received much more money than , that of. Public Healih-indeed, tho country only "spent on public health one-tenth part of what it spent on cattle." He was very proud of the part played by tho women of this country during the war. Hd instanced a girl who had come to him regarding a passage to England to marry her sweetheart, who had lost both Iprs. He was glad to be abln to tell lier that the Government would hdp her out of patriotic funds raised by the pepple of this country. He thought such devotion very fine. Mr. flussoll honed that these meetings of soldiers' mothers would continue and would be. productive of good fellowship. Alluding to repatriation, he stated that it was the desire of the Government that the soldiers should as soon as possible be absorbed into tho civilian life of the country. The National War Funds Council would assist as far as possible tho work- of the repatriation Übai'ds. One thing they meant to do was that wherever a soldier had matriculated and was desirous of entering a learned profession tlioy would 'help him to do so. The thii'tv or thirty-five thousand pounds wliich they possessed would be expended in helping soldiers to improve their position. He agreed with Sir James Alien in'doubting possible disarmament, and considered we ehould lie prepared, for eventualities by having a trained civilian force amongst our population. (Applause.)