DEFENCE LEAGUE

Hokitika Guardian, 18 June 1930, Page 2

DEFENCE LEAGUE

POLICY OUTLINED,

AIA JOE-G EXE R Al, RUSS EL I/S STATEMENT.

WELLINGTON, June 16

“The mission of tiie recently revived National Defence League of New Zealand is to see that, among other pressing problems of the moment, the need for adequate defence is not lost sight of on account of apathy or misunderstanding,” said Major-General Russell, Dominion president of the league, in a statement to-night. “The league proposes to educate the people by placing facts before them, and, having every confidence in the soundness of the judgment of New Zealanders and their loyalty, has no doubt as to the ultimate result.”

Continuing, Major-General Russell states that the league supports a universal system of military training because it believes that every man and woman owes "service to his or lieu country. It supports territorial training because it- believes in its educational value and its encouragement of discipline, which are essential to la\. and order and public morality. With reference to the League of Nations, .Major-General Russell says: “If any reference to the League oi Nations is necessary, it may be stated at once that the National Defence League stands firmly behind the League of Nations in the hope that it may on a moral plane, Iby the open discussion of international needs and differeccs, and by its open and wholly right condemnation of war, gradually bring a l "it such a change in the present attitude of the nations and i'l.ces towards each other that a defence league and an armed nation wound become an anachronism. 'I he National Defence League holds that disarmament should follow and will follow the change in heart, not that it should precede it. In the meantime, in view- of the present position of Europe, of India, and of the world, We want adequate provision for the defence of New Zealand and of the Empire in case of need. Let the League of Nations carry on the wholly essential work it is doing in the interests of mankind, and let us support it. Of the argument that to be armed and able to defend our liberty .encourages or makes for war, , file answer is that it depends on the temper and mind of a nation so armyd, not on ■ weapons or knowledge of their use.”

After enlarging on the benefits of military training to the youth of the country, Major-General Russell igoes on: “Opposition to defence on the grounds of cost hardly seems a valid objection in this country when one considers how much is spent on drink, on the totalisator, luxury motor cars, and on pleasure, It is impossible to say under such circumstances that there is no money left for the adequate defence ot our ideals, qur standard of life, and qur material pqssessioqs, and to meet the obligations we owe towards the defence of the Empire to which we belong, The fact that every penny that can be spared is required to cope with unemployment is unfortunately true enough, but the money spent on training, outside the purchase of equipment, which i s made overseas, does not aggravate, but on the contrary relieves, unemployment by giving employment. During the years of war and reflecting on the chances and position of those engaged, it is inevitably borne in one’s mind how fortunate were those of us who, falling, bad at least no fear for the material welfare of our dependents. This reflection served to strengthen the reflection that the material cost of defence should®' fall on the -shoulders of those most able to bear it. The poor pay heavily enough in any case.”

N.Z. DEFENCE SYSTEM

REPLY TO MILITARISTS

WELLINGTON, June 17

A large deputation, representing the National Defence League, waited upon the Prime Minister (Hon. G'. W. Forbes) and the Minister of Defence (Hon. Mr Cobbe) to-day, and urged that the compulsory system of military training in New Zealand should be retained. They also asked there should be no reduction in the land defence vote this year.

In replying, the Prime Minister said that reductions in expenditure we to imperative. Tin's was .in the interests of sound finance, which, said the Prime Minister, was afier all the primary consideration. It was not intended to scrap the whole of the defence system, but it was intended to overhaul it, in order to ascertain whether they were getting value for the money which they expended.