CONSCRIPTION ISSUE

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 191, 9 May 1940, Page 5

CONSCRIPTION ISSUE

How Events Moved During

Great War

ANSWERS OF MEN TO VITAL QUESTIONS

The resolution of the annual conference of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association in favour of compulsory national service draws attention again to the history of conscription in the Dominion during the Great War. The U.S.A, resolution goes further than advocacy of compulsory military service for al] lit men of military age; it asks also that all other men and women capable of national service in the war effort should be placed in an avenue of activity where they would be most useful. The history of military training in New Zealand and the legislation of 1914-18 on the subject of military service are interesting to review at the present stage. Under the Defence Act, 1909, all males were liable to be trained from the age of 14 in the senior cadets, and from the age of 18 to 25 in the territorial force. In the postwar years the full period of service in the territorials to which trainees were liable was not carried out, the trainees being posted to the reserve at the age of 21. In 1930 the compulsory provisions of the Defence Act were, on the decision of the United Government, placed in abeyance. The Government bad authority to suspend I training under the Act, but it chose to bring before Parliament, in August, 1930, a bill suspending it for 12 months. This was passed by the House, but was rejected by the Legislative Council, on a hostile amendment moved by Sir James Allen, the war-time Defence Minister. The Minister of Defence then was the Hon.' J. G. Cobbe. The Government’s intention, it was emphasized, was to effect economies, and the suspension was described as temporary. In October, 1930, orders for the reduction of the military forces were issued. ,

As a temporary measure the territorial force was reduced to a cadre basis, and the training of senior cadets was confined to secondary schools. Registration for military service was suspended till further orders. Training on a voluntary basis was inaugurated in July, 1931, and has continued on that basis since. When war broke out in 1914 there was a rush to volunteer for overseas service, and a small force was sent to Samoa, and before the. year was out the Main Body had sailed far parts unknown. It went to Australia and joined a similar force from the Commonwealth. There was for a time a prospect. that the combined force would go to South Africa, but. it landed in Egypt, played its part in'the assault on Gallipoli. -and afterward went to France. The Main Body and 1 its early reinforcements were all volunteers'. Compulsory military training was in force, but no power existed to compel any trainee to go abroad. National Register. In 1915 t>he New Zealand Parliament passed the National Registration Act. providing for the compilation, of a

national register of men between the ages of 17 and 60 years. Particulars were required of each man's address, age, martial condition, dependants, occupation, physical condition, and military experience. Only those between 19 and 45 were required to indicate their willingness or otherwise to undertake military service. The men of this age who registered totalled nearly 200.000. Of these 33.785 declared that they would not undertake service at home or abroad, while 44,338 were unwilling to serve abroad, but stated their willingness to do home service. A total of 119,778 declared themselves willing to serve overseas. Of these 61,704 were married men, and 16,876 single men with dependants. Of the single men without dependants, 34,103 intimated their willingness to go ' abroad.

Most of the personal particulars will now be obtained in tlie national register which is being compiled in conjunction with social security annual declarations, the difference being (bat ~ie questions relating to willingness to join an expeditionary force will not be asked. The Expeditionary Force Act (October, 1915) authorized the Government to raise, by voluntary enlistment, expeditionary forces for service outside New Zealand “during the present war with Germany.” The forces previously raised for service in Samoa, and elsewhere than in Samoa, together with all reinforcements, were deemed to be expeditionary forces raised and maintained under the authority of the Act of 1915. That is, the raising and dispatch of them were validated. Military Service Act. The Military Service Act (August, 1916) was passed to make further provision for the raising and maintaining of expeditionary forces “during the present war.” It created an expeditionary force reserve, consisting of “every male natural-born British subject” aged between 20 and 46 years. The reserve consisted of two divisions, the first comprising single men, and men married after-May 1, 1915, and the second of all other men of military age. Power was given (he Minister of Defence to call up such numbers of men as he thought necessary for service with the expeditionary force. The number of men wanted was selected by lot. Each man called up had the right of appeal, on the ground that his civil occupation was essential in the public interest, or that for domestic reasons his military service would cause undue hardship ‘■o himself or others, or that on the date of the outbreak of the war he was and had continued to be a member of a religious body opposed to the bearing of arms, as contrary to Divine revelation!