The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1919. SOLDIERS AND CITIZENS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 23, 22 October 1919, Page 6

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1919. SOLDIERS AND CITIZENS

At the National Conference of the Returned Soldiers' Association during the last day or two, much has _ been dono _to sweep away the lilies into which some minority sections of the_ organisation have of late been beguiled, and to define in clear terms the actual relation in which soldiers stand to the State. The conference is noteworthy in many respects, most of all on account of the emphasis laid on the fact thac members of the association, though they meet together primarily- as soldiers with common interests to safeguard and advance, are at the samo time citizens, with the full rights and responsibilitiesof citizens. The conference has sounded clearly and well the note of patriotic citizenship which was markedly absent from the heedless and ill-considcred agitations in which some returned soldiers in Wellington and elsewhere have engaged during the last month or two. It is now apparent that those of its members who wish to convert the association into a party political machine are in a decided minority, and that those who would like to see it engage in an attempt to squeeze as much money as possible out of the public purse are a group of quite insignificant' proportions. Tho result of this demonstration is, of course, to confirm the association in the high standing it has hitherto been accorded in public estimation and to give it all possible influence in pressing legitimate claims. Tho temper of the conference was nowhere better indicated than in its treatment of the question of gratuities and related matters. A Wellington delegate who has been conspicuous in suggesting unreasonable, demands. Mn.'_ Sievwiught, founc! the whole of his co-delegates solidly and unitedly opposed to his proposals that the Government should be_ asked to heavily increase gratuities, and to make retrospective increases in pay which in themselves, according to tho conference chairman, would entail an outlay of from ten to fifteen millions.

In the discussion of these extraordinary proposals a number of delegates were refreshingly outspoken in their denunciation of the view that returned soldiers are within their rights in attempting to extort as much money ns possible from the State. Other people have been rather chary of dealing freely with this matter, lest it should be supposed that in condemning' the extravagant demands of the few they were opposing the fair and reasonable consideration to which the men who fought for their country are in every way entitled. Now that representative returned soldiers have expressed themselves so pointedly on the_ subject, any fear of misunderstanding is removed. It is, in fact, evident that there is a clear distinction to be drawn between fair consideration to soldiers and such demands as have recently been raised by a section of the Wellington members of the Returned Soldiers' Association. Our soldiers are citizens who served their country, in the field and incidentally defended r,heir own liberties, and have returned to resume their former place in the community. They are not mercenaries who havo returned to levy all possible toll on the country they .preserved, but that, or something very like it, is the character imputed to them by those who in recent times have been talking airijy about extorting untold millions from the Government.' The ill-considered action of these inesponsibles counts, of course, for little in face of the enlightened stand unitedly taken by the returned soldiers at their National Conference. It is not the least important aspect of the question, as delegates fully recognised, that returned soldiers, at least as much as any other section of the community, will bear such burdens as the war has imposed, and in its aftermath may yet impose, upon .the community. The Auckland representative who said that for every shilling that returned soldiers received they would have to pay back "say went rather to an extreme in illustrating bis point, but it is a fact, however, that the men upon whom the Do minion relied in war are likewise those upon whom it will largely iely during their remaining active lifetime to further productive enterprise and provide ■ the revenue which will enable it to meet its war and other obligations. It is the core of the _ whole mattet that returned soldiers, though they havo rendered eminent service, are not a special class set apart, but a body of citizens who will secure their rights by, resuming a full part in

the life of their country and in 110 other way.

In everything that tends to bring about this result, the Returned Soldiers' Association is, of course, entitled to the fullest support from the public, and there is 110 mason to fear that this support will be withheld. The detail proceedings of the conference show that in spite of what has been done to establish ''o.patriatioii and the care of disabled soldiers and the dependants nf soldiers on a systematic basis the task is far from complete. Some of the claims and proposals approved by the conference raise difficult questions, though all are, of course, entitled to be considered on their merits. Tn view of the high standard of loyal citizenship it has set, the representations of the association are bound, as in the past, to carry great weight with the Government and Parliament, and with the public. While the. proposals now raised include some upon which it is impossible to pronounce an opinion offhand, and without detailed consideration, there are others which on the face of it. are just, and ought to be conceded. A conspicuous case in point is the request for a pledge from the Government and Parliament that land settlement and repatriation benefits generally shall not be rendered inoperative until every returned soldier has had ample opportunity tu train himself, or to otherwise arrange his affairs, in order to takn full advantage of these benefits. Such a pledge ought to be given without hesitation, since it implies nothing more than the fair and equitable treatment of all returned soldiers on a common basis. While : t is suggested that it should be nf general application, the pledge would be of particular value in relation to soldier settlement. _ By relieving the anxiety of unsatisfied applicants, it would facilitate the orderly treatment of application* and make for smooth working Various questions that need attention were raised by the Repatriation Committee of tho conference in the report it presented on Monday. The. suggestion that some men are being discharged unfit but without a pension is particularly and ought to be looked into without delay. As we lia,vc previously urged, the conditions under which pensions _ are. awarded are, as a whole, distinctly open to improvement. In this direction and in others there is still ample scope tor useful activity by_ the Returned Soldiers' Association, and on the lines on which it is working it has every prospect of securing such changes and # concessions as are shown to be just and reasonable. The delegates to the present conference have nowheri shown better judgment than in _ rejccting_ proposals to make their organisation political in ihc party sense. There is an open door for returned soldiers into politics as into every other department of national life, but unity is absolutely vital to the successful handling of the all-im-portant activities which are within the sphere of their association, and ample evidence has been afforded in the conference proceedings of the 'Iftst day or two that unity coulcl not possibly be maintained if the association descended to the level of a political party.