COMPULSORY TRAINING

Evening Star, Issue 23382, 27 September 1939, Page 3

COMPULSORY TRAINING

MM m EFFICIENT MILITARY MACHINE RMTMN BY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE GOVERNMENT URGED TO ACT ■ Tie necessity for the institution of a system of compulsory military training, the principle of which was fully discussed by the council of tho Dunedin Chamber of Commerce last night, led tfeat organisation to pass a resolution utging that the Government adopt such a system. There was a large attendance, of members, tho president (Mr C. L. Calvert) being in tho chair. .The motion was moved by Mr A. C. Cameron, who said that tho Empire ■was at war, and at the moment it looked as if it would he a long-drawn-out conflict which would tax to tho uttermost all tho country’s resources, both of men and material. It was almost certain that trained, fit men would he needed, and. assuming this to be the case, surely it was the duty of'this country to be ready to answer any demand which might be made upon it. Just at the moment the New Zealand Government was calling for volunteers and preparations were being made for the training of those who went into camp to form tho special force for service here or abroad. Presumably the period of training in New Zealand would be governed by tho urgency of the demand for reinforcements abroad. In other words, if men were badly needed at the front, then the- training period for troops would he cut down to a bare minimum, ns was the case in the last war. There seemed to be a feeling abroad that m tfce last war the men who were hurried away after only a short period of training did as well as regular troops. The fact was, that .after three or four months’ training the men had intensive training in Egypt and also in England, and at the same time had the original advantage of a compulsory military training system which had been in «tistence prior to the outbreak of the war.

, TRAINING FOR ALL. Some of the men going into camp would have had a certain amount of training in, voluntary Territorial units -i-others would have had none. Why should the willing volunteer have to hear the brunt of whatever work there was .to do and possibly have his efficiency impaired by the inefficient untrained last-minute volunteers who, whilst not prepared to sacrifice their pleasure in order to train, yet might be ready to fight when the emergency arose,‘Mr Cameron said. During the Great War some of_ them saw the tragedy of half-trained lads being ginned into the line to stem the Gerntan onwaught of 1917-18. Great Britain and France profited by that Jfesson, and both countries have since aHoptld compulsory systems of train#ig. Sorely the New Zealand authoritftS realised the position here, or did Hftey? Were jfirty politics going to be jMowed to impair the efficiency of those wffio sought to train an adequate force fbr the defence of this country or for service abroad? - Recently I read a statement attributed to a General Metsch, one of the military leaders in Germany,” Mr Giaperon continued. “ This statement read as follows ‘ It is startling what « jMi harvest death can reap among Ha&trsined soldiers, even if they are most superb courage. It is indhmprebensible how a superficially- ' trained mob can be expected to achieve results nowadays in the complicated conditions of a war conducted with modem weapons.’ General Metsch. considers two years’ training to be the minimum required to make a soldier 4&dent. Surely the tragedy of Poland him shown ns that courage alone is no n&atch for an efficient, highly-mechan-iaed • assailant. If the war finishes without those who have been trained 1 being needed, then so much ,th 6 better 2jie men concerned will be no worse off for Ehe experience. As a returned soldier, I can voice the opinion of the majority of those who saw years of active service, and I say, unhesitatinady, that we not only believe In ccanpulsory training, but in compulsory aOlieilßient. Why should one man go tfc; Emit because of a sense of duty; sad the other stay at home to reap the ■finwnt of the other’s sacrifice? Howejhar, the remit only deals with comtraining, so I will leave it at STANDING/ARMY NEEDED. •Mr J. M'Knight, representing the Dunedin Returned Soldiers’ Association, seconded the motion, and said that at the last conference of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association several remits were passed urging the Government to adopt compulsory military teaming, and that regular troops should be maintained in the country to _bo ready for service at a moment’s notice. New Zealand and Australia should have regular troops to take their share in the garrisoning of Singapore, Shangihaid, and Hongkong, he said. Moreover, the adequate training of the Territorial Forces was essential. Whatever might be thought to the contrary, the Territorial was not an efficient soldier until he had had six mouths’ solid training. He had seen tragic proof of that during the last war, when partly-, trained men Lad suffered very "heavy casualties because they were not pro•perly prepared. In’ England at the present time everyone between the ages of 18 and 41 years was conscripted, and what was good enough for Old England should be good enough for New Zealand. Mr J. S. Skinner said that during the past two or three years resolutions luid gone forth from the annual conference ’of the Associated Chambers of <Hmmerce advocating compulsory mili•ifiry training. About 18 months ago Mkjor-general J. E. Dnigan, the geneMl officer commanding the New Zealand Forces, met the executive of the imwinistnd chambers with a proposal that employers should provide facilities fat their employees to attend camps. Tint proposal had been supported wTlble-heartedly, but it had also been stressed to Major-generai Dnigan that the associated chambers strongly advocated compulsory training.

YOUTH EAGER. Mr P. 0. Smellie said lie Relieved 'tUifc the country was looking for a Ifead. The*® were hundreds of_ young who were eager and anxious to begin Wanting if they knew what was reStrired of them. One saw feverish -.ifirity fa VMkms parts of the country, hat mat Was touching only the fringe of! the patriotism and the man-power of the country. If the Government hrought in compulsory military training it would meet'with very little oppositipn, and the measure, he felt sure, would meet with the approval of the majority of the young men in the, country. not

scription right out, and not merely compulsory military training? The country was at war, not merely preparing for war. Mr Cameron had not underestimated the magnitude of the task facing the nation. All the resources and the manpower of the nation should be utilised in the fight against Hitlerism. The Chamber of Commerce should come out into the open and face the question boldly. . Mr Cameron said that the conscription issue was a much wider question than that of compulsory military training, and he preferred that subject he held over for a separate discussion. ■ The motion was carried, and it was decided that it be sent forward to the Associated Chambers of Commerce as a remit, and in the meantime that it he forwarded to the Government.

OTHER REMITS. Other remits to the annual conference of the Associated Chambers of Commerce, which were discussed at length in committee, were as follows: “That the Government be urged to take the necessary steps to ensure that sufficient trained men are available even if this means conscription. “ That this council urges the Government to institute the compilation of a national register with a view to the utilisation of the man-power of the country to the best advantage toward the successful issue of the war. _ . “ That this council is of the opinion that the monetary system of the country must ho retained on a sound basis and to this end that the _ war should be waged out of national income, and that the Reserve Bank must have restored to it its proper function.