HISTORY OF THE DEFENCE ACT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1332, 3 December 1914, Page 4

HISTORY OF THE DEFENCE ACT.

As Sir Joseph Ward persists in claiming a monopoly ot the credit lor the initiation of the compulsory military training scheme, a little more past history may be quoted. In his speech at Bluff last week, the Opposition Leader, in referring to the matter, said that his opponents “ were breaking their necks, twisting their tongues, and distorting their bodies to claim credit for introducing a system for which he was entirely responsible.” Sir Joseph Ward, as everyone admits, introduced the Defence Bill, but was he ” entirely responsible ?” During the session of 1908, when he was Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, he was waited upon at Wellington by a deputation from the Farmers' Union Conference in support of compulsory training. No deputation ever received a mote unfavourable reply from a Minister upon any subject. This is what the head ol the Government said ” The system of universal military training may be a great goal to work for, but, in a country where nine people out of every ten earn their own living, it is, I think impracticable. It would make a tremendous inroad upon their daily work, and that is one of the reasons that make some people object to such proposals as these.” Continuing, he said that if the deputation would go outside of its immediate ranks, it would find "that there could be no government that would carry into effect a system of compulsory military training in New Zealand. The public feeling was far. far too strong against it.” This was Sir Joseph Ward’s view at a time when the question was being insistently pressed upon the notice of the Government by the National Defence League and others.

Mr Massey’s Part. Mere than once during the session of 1908, Mr Massey urged the appointment of a Parliamentary Committee to consider the matter of universal training. In reply to such a suggestion from Mr Massey on August 28, 1908, Sir Joseph Ward said that “he had not the slightest hesitation in saying that if the Government were to adopt the course urged by a section of the press and by one or two members of the Opposition, and try to force on the people of New Zealand a system of compulsory volunteering, the people would not have it. Not long ago, when only a rumour was circulated that the Government was attempting to introduce a system of the kind, the country was alive from end to end in vigorous opposition to it, and protests from the North Cape to the Bluff were received. To try to force anything of the kind would be to give the volunteer movement a set back,” The movement in favour of universal training continued to grow, in spite of Sir Joseph Ward’s cold water douches. In fact, the country was alive with it from end to end. In the second session of 1909, Sir Joseph Ward yielded to the force of public opinion by introducing his Defence Bill.