FARMERS AND DEFENCE

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 558, 17 August 1920, Page 2

FARMERS AND DEFENCE

A CHALLENGE.

Reprinted from the Evening Post, Wellington^--

Sir, —I have read with great ip*er«. est the proposals of the Fanners' Union Conference regarding X of tlit* future defence of the Dominion. According to these military experts, the Education Department, can include in its syllabus the whole of the military instruction requrred lor the future defence of New Zealand.

As a taxpayer, I agree that, provided the Dominion is saved from future invasion, any means by which its Defence Forces can be trained without expense should be As one, however, who fought in the South African War, and the last (Jreat War, 1 have ji personal know- '•* ledge of the heavy sacrilice of life, the tragedy of the shortage of essential equipment, and the prolongation of the wars owing to,unpre v sparedness. This is always owing to the selfishness, shortsightedness, and ' foolishness of many of our people# ■' i during times of peace. In the War many gallant New Zealanders died through lack of training and.-If* equipment, which shortages were directly attributable to peace-fanatics, who, in pre-war times, while totally ignorant of the needs of defence, ridiculed and obstructed those ex- _ ports who tried to prepare for it. 1 do not wish to be satirical, for I consider this question to be far too grave. 1 merely ask the Farmers' Union whether they consider their ; own military advisers superior to General Russell and other senior of- , ficers of the Expeditionary Forces who have, by their skill. courage, and knowledge, assisted to bring the*fc]£t_ war to a victorious Knowing that permanent officers inr" c harge of defence training'ire pre*! vented by regulation from replying to venomous attacks, a fact always taken advantage of by opponents of Defence, is it not cowardly and contemptible for obviously ill-informed civilians to make such statements as "kicking them back to work, thereby inferring that these officers are not part of the working community? Neither can we expect to induce military experts to serve if such wilfully misleading statements are made, always remembering that military service offers little in the way of monetary reward. The great majority of the permanent officers in New Zealand served with its Expeditionary Forces, while many have been decorated for valcur. Those civilians • who remained safely in New Zealand during the war should ask themselves how their their bank accounts compare with those who fought, and how their positions and future prospects compare with those of the men.who went to the war. - Although i>ot a member of the New Zealand Permanent forces, I will make one challenge on their behalf. I will ask that all the speakers who opposed defence at the recent meeting of the Dominion farmers' Association should produce their bank accounts for 1911, and also at the date of the armistice. They in turn to select .any similar number of Defence permanent officers to do likewise. It would be of (interest to see which party lost or made money out of the Great War. If this cbal'enge is taken up, I feel quite sure that an impartial committee could be appointed to decide this point. But the general public should be informed of its results. Unquestionably, 1m preparedness in time of war, while inflicting heavy casualties and gigantic sulfering to our soldiers, results in enormous financial gain to many responsible for such unprepafljp edness.

I The Farmers' Union Conference , stated that the Territorial training is a failure. Why has this been the case ? Has not the training of (he x I Territorials in country districts practically ceased for the last three years? On what grounds? Principally because the farmers unceasingly , groaned because their employees were required to attend less than one drill a, week plus one week's camp each year to ensure the necessary efficiency. The soldier might retaliate with equal justice by saying that the farmers were not producing satisfactory wheat if the latter had had no opportunity of planting the seed. You cannot Day military training in bottles and gain the necessary military experience by rubbing a certain amount on the head. * Unless the man can be brought to the military instructors, we cannot complain if the latter do not produce efficient results. If New Zealand requires to be defended in the future, universal training must mean more than using every argument to prevent one's own relatives and employees from performing their military training. If, on the other hand, we are prepared to allow "God's Own Country" to come under a foreign Power without resistance, it matters little whether the military trainingis reposed in the Education Department or whether it becomes merged in the Department of Fisheries. If we want a farce, let us call it a farce, and cease to hold intelligent, well-trained and efficient officers and sergeant-majowtJii positions where they receive less wages than waterside workers. This would permit these men to reap some of the financial advantages accruing to the farmer. But, before doing so, let us all pause to think of the countless _ thousands of forgotten dead who to-day in Gallipoli and through the folly, neglect, apathy* and ignorance of those who scoffed at and derided military training and its instructors prior to the Great War of 1914-18. With apologies for the length of this letter, which 1 have written in a spirit of loyalty to those who died owing to our unpreparedness in 1914. -1 am, etc., MESSINES.