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The Dominion WEDNESDAY," MAY 7, 1919. REPATRIATION AND POLITICS

The work of' repatriation ought to receive a useful impetus from the return of; Brigadier-General Richardson, who is to be tendered a civic welcome in Wellington this aftei'nOOn. * From his observations when he arrived at Auckland a day or two ago it is plain that he has tho interests of soldiers quite as much at heart now that they are/ resuming their place in civil life as when he controlled in England the organisation which was essential to their welfare and efficiency •as a fighting force. Adding to this that.General Richardson is better placed than most people to understand the real nature and scope of the great and urgent problem _ by which the Dominion is faced, it is evident that the Government is bounty to 'draw freely upon his experience in extending its repatriation activities from the stage now reached. General Richardson's last important task as, officer' in charge of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the United Kingdom was to organise the return transport of our troops, and ho is in close and familiar touch with many, phases of the repatriation problem. Ho already, has a fine record, of useful service and of advancement woii by .genuine merit and ability. No doubt he will establish further claims upon, the gratitude of his countrymen both by enlarging and amplifying such knowledgers already obtains of, tho provision - that ought to be made for soldiers, and by exercising a salutary influence upon the soldiers themselves, whose confidence he possesses. Presumably no attempt will be made to General Richardson 1 within narrow limits of official reticence. It is in the interests of all concerned that his knowledge and understanding of our soldiers should be made-as freely as possible available. He has himself said that the whole country should unite in putting its fighting men back intoi their old positions, just as it did in-sending them away to the front, and this obviously implies as ono essential condition that the country must be well advised. Looking at what General Richardson had to say particularly in reference to the case of disabled men, it *may be inferred that no legitimate claim that can be advanced on behalf .of soldiers will be denied his powerful advocacy and support. All the more weight attaches on this account to'his remarks regarding the 'spirit in which soldiers ought to approach their 1 transfer from military to civilian status. He was notably outspoken on a subject that has attracted a, certain amount of attention recently: that of the intervention of returned soldiers as a group m politics. As a soldier, General Richardson observed, he had nothing to do with politics, _ and he deplored the fact tnat discharged soldiers in Britain had split themselves up into a number, of political organisations. He disapproved of political activities of this kind. Blunt and uncompromising as it is, this pronouncement is not likely to offend any soldier or ex-soldier who dispassionately weighs the facts. Such attempts as have thus far been made .to convert the New Zealand Returned Association into a political organisation have- been firmly opposed, and its adoption of this attitude undoubtedly has very greatly strengthened the association in pressing for the satisfaction of legitimate demands. The attempts that aro now being made in some quarters to establish an artificial dividing line between soldiers- and the rest of the community must be condemned as not merely mistaken, but positively pernicious. It' is hardly necessary to point out that no such division exists in reality. Not only are there very few families in the Dominion which are unable to boast a soldier ; relative or. relatives, but reasonable claims made on behalf of soldiers are regarded with . practically universal sympathy, and arc supported freely and heartily by people of all shades qf political opinion. Tt would be a calamity fqr returned soldiers as wclli as for the country generally if these conditions were disturbed by a serious attempt to organise returned soldiers into , a political party, opposed in that character to other sections of the community. Any attempt ought to be sufficiently discredited at its inception by the consideration that the members of_ a citizen army are citizens primarily and all the time and soldiers only temporarily. Justice and gratitude alike demand that they should be restored to civil life under the very best conditions attainable, but if tliev atlcinptcd to make their war servico the groundwork of a political organisation they would exchange the broad status of ordinary citizenship for something much narrower and mucli less desirable.

_ It is, of coursc, as natural as dor sirable that on resuming civilian status the men who fought for their country should play an important part in its political life. Under right conditions their influence will bo wholly bracing and invigorating,

and no doubt many of them will take an active pa vfc in public affairs. But if the benefits thus brought into prospect arc to be secured', it is essential that there should be a resolute avoidance of all narrow sectionalism and a detcrminatioii not to tolerate the creation of artificial divisions. A great majority of our soldiers, no doubt, are as well able as other people to perceive these facts, and arc safeguarded accordingly against the clanger of being led into a political blind alloy and lending themselves to the creation of needless antagonisms. It must rest largely with soldiers themselves to prevent even a minority of their number being_ deluded into a course which would interfere seriously with the smooth progress of repatriation and in some degree deprive the country generally of the benefits that are to be derived from unity and harmony in the promotion of measures for the common good. In the position reached the advice of an authority like Gereraj, Richardson ought to be of great value as making for the adoption of a rational attitude by both soldiers and civilians. No doubt, soldier members of Parliament like Major (Joates, Major Hike, and others, who have served with distinction at tKo front, will be able to co-operate usefully to the same end.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19190507.2.24

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 190, 7 May 1919, Page 6

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,021

The Dominion WEDNESDAY," MAY 7, 1919. REPATRIATION AND POLITICS Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 190, 7 May 1919, Page 6

The Dominion WEDNESDAY," MAY 7, 1919. REPATRIATION AND POLITICS Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 190, 7 May 1919, Page 6

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