Veteran Militants

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 937, 2 April 1930, Page 8

Veteran Militants

WANT COMPULSION STILL “Old Soldiers Never Die” Press Association NEW PLYMOUTH, Today. A VIGOROUS protest against the proposal to abolish military training was made by the Taranaki Maori War Veterans’ Association yesterday, when old campaigners of from 70 to 90 years of age spoke of the necessity for young men to be taught to defend their country. It was decided to urge the Government not to consider the proposals to abolish training. The chief speakers were Lieutenant-Colonel C. H. Weston. D. 5.0., and Chaplain-Colonel the Yen, Archdeacon F. G. Evans.

“If the system of universal compulsory military training is to disappear some form of land training for defence should certainly be substituted for it,” said Lieutenant-Colonel H. E. Avery, who served with the Expeditionary Force and on the New Zealand Staff Corps before being transferred to the reserve list (reports The Sun’s correspondent in Wellington). “It is my opinion,” he continued, “that if the compulsory system must go the defence forces of the Dominion should be remodelled on a volunteer basis, with the retention of a sufficient permanent staff of officers and N.C.O.’s to carry out the administration and the training of the volunteer forces. “I do not think that anybody will challenge the proposal to spend more money on the Air Force. I think it is generally admitted that the Air Force must be extended and made a thoroughly efficent unit. But no one who has had any experience of war will say that the Air Force, no matter how efficient, is going to replace the infantry entirely. The Air Force is simply an auxiliary arm, a scouting force, taking much the same place in modern warfare that the cavalry used to in the old days. “I think the general opinion of those who have had anything to do with the organisation and administration of the New Zealand territorial forces would favour a volunteer system, should universal compulsory military training have to disappear. “In my opinion the decision of the Government to curtail the military training of the youth of New Zealand has been brought about by the need for economy and by the fact that it has been by all who are in “any way interested in defence as being a necessary provision, so that the development of aviation may be more vigorously prosecuted than it has been, to enable our aerial fighting force to become a real factor in the event of hostilities. “Personally, I should very much regret to see a wholesale cutting down of our land forces, and I trust that the Government will maintain skeleton cadres, in order, should the need arise, to enable a force of trained men to be available as officers and non-commis-sioned officers and instructors. “Any cutting down "of the services will inevitably result in a reduction in the New Zealand Staff Corps, and this, I hold, would be very much to be regretted. as I feel that the youth of New

Zealand who have taken up military service have done so with the object of its being their life profession. I therefore hope that if it is essential that the staff should be considerably reduced steps will be taken by the Government to see that the young members of the staff are given an opportunity to continue following their profession in the Imperial Forces. “While it is considered by a great many that the early reinforcements which took part in the late war were composed mainly of men who had done previous military training, it must be admitted that the later reinforcements consisted of men who had no military training whatever, and I venture to say that the intensified training that they received in New Zealand before leaving for the scene of operations made them as good soldiejs as those who were privileged to leave in the early days of the war. Therefore, while every care should be taken that we maintain a force that will not be a negligible quantity in the case of trouble, we must at the same time realise that the youth of this Dominion can be readily trained, and when they do get into the field make excellent soldiers.”

PROPOSAL WELCOMED PRESBYTERIAN ATTITUDE From Our Resident Reporter WELLINGTON, Today. Asked to comment yesterday on the proposal to abolish compulsorv military training, the Rev. J. R. Blanchard, of St. John’s Presbyterian Church, said that the decision was in favour with the opinions of the Presbyterian Church which had been expressed every year for the last four or five years and would undoubtedlv be welcome to the General Assembly. “In these days, when the leaders of the world are making a determined and. I believe, honest effort to secure a lasting basis for peace,” he said, “it seems to me imperative that the nations should avoid any conscriptive measure which -will give to the world any appearance of being an armed camp. Surely the best defence which nations have is that of mutual understanding, confidence and trust, remembering the wise dictum, ‘What binds people to us is not the machinery we employ. but the spirit \vc- au f.~ ~