COMPULSORY TRAINING

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1046, 9 August 1930, Page 8

COMPULSORY TRAINING

ERRITORIALS’ ASSOCIATION AND MR. T. BLOODWOtni

“DULY INCORPORATED SOCIETY”

At a recent meeting of tie Auckland Harbour Board, a letter irat r*. ceived from tie Past and Present Territorials' Association asking for an ei" pression of opinion on mm n[(t *' military training. There was gome dfi cussion among members, and tke 1«ter was received.

Mr. Blood worth, speaking to amendment that the letter be ceived, said that the association that had forwarded ihe communication was not well known and had prob ably been brought into existence f ur the purpose of writing the letter.

Today The Sun has received th. following letter from Mr. M. R. Reei ~ chairman of the Auckland branch of the Past and Present Territorials’ a!! sociation of New Zealand (Inc.); Sir,—

In a newspaper report of the recent meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board, which considered a letter from the Auckland Branch of the Past ana Present Territorials’ Association requesting an expression of opinion r!! Sard ins compulsory military training and also on whether the loss to em’. plovers of time spent in training we. offset by the national value of the eer vice, Mr. T. Bloodworth is reported to have suggested that our association had merely been called into fceing f e , tho purpose of writing a letter. The letter which the Harbour Board ultimately received purported to introduce “the bearer.” The bearer of the letter in the first instance had been Mr. T. H. Busck, honorary secretary of the association, who personally Interviewed the secretary of the board and explained our objects. The secretary undertook to bring the two questions before hLs board, which premise was duly fulfilled. Mr. Bloodworth objected to the fact that the bearer was not present. “No on as f?r as I know besides ‘the bearer" Is aware of the existence of this association,” he remarked. “If it were the Returned Soldiers' Association, or any body of standing (sic), the matter would be very different. This association hjs apparently been called Into being foe the purpose of writing this letter.’’ One remarks with astonishment that Mr. Bloodworth would discriminate between a “body of standing” and one of more humble pretensions. It must be remembered also that the Returned Soldiers’ Association has already declared itself in favour of compulsory military training so that had the questionnaires emanated from that body we are told “there would be reason for the letter to be heard.” So there was nothing wrong with the questions ncr the method adopted in bringing them before the board. Mr. Bloodworth requires (in future?) a testimonial as to his questioner’s “standing.” Having thus delivered himself of his weighty and conservative requirements he goes

on, quite inconsistently, to say: “But I principally support the amendment” (.to receive and not to discuss the letter!. ‘‘because I do not consider that it is any business of ours.” It would have been more becoming in Mr. Bloodworth had he first made inquiries into the circumstances attending the introduction of the letter to the board, an. as he required it. taken trouble to ascertain some facts concerning our association before criticising our methods or questioning our bona tides. It is an astonishing paradox that those wita pacifist tendencies are generally t_e most provocative. MANY ACTIVE BRANCHES The Past and Present Territorials’ Association had its beginning at a meeting of territorials in Wellington some months before the drastic changes in the defence force were made public. It is a duly incorporated society. with headquarters in Wellington, and now has branches in active operation in Gisborne. Christchurch, Napier, Wellington. Timaru, Hastinga, Blenheim. Dunedin, Wanganui. DannevirKf. Dargaville, and Hamilton, and other branches are in course of formation. The Auckland branch was formed on July 9, and has a present membership of 200. None of the members has any “standing” other than that all are now serving or have at one time served in the territorial forces in New Zealand. The membership is limited to past and present territorials between the ages of 1S and 45. The association is nonpa rty politically except in so far as it will actively oppose any political party which aims at the repeal of the compulsory clauses of the Defence Act, but it has received courteous to its questions from most membersoi Parliament irrespective of party. ’R** members of our association have “no axe to grind.** Our constitution B P e< |*" ally excludes paid members of the Defence Department. We are genuine in our efforts toward the maintenance of an adequate defence force in Zealand, for we are not parties to tn# folly that war is impossible because it is horrible, and we believe that aD should bear an equal share in burden. The Defence Act ia the moet democratic enactment in the Statute Books. Without distinction of or creed, all able-bodied men most be disciplined and instructed in the defence of this country. “NEVER BETTER DISCIPLINED" Mr. Bloodworth maintained that military training had never been of th° slightest u#6 in disciplining or train* ing the youth of the country. Here is a statement which can be reiutea at once. The Territorial* have never been better trained, better disci pu®*®» nor more efficient than they are at tn day. Many senior officers have formed continuous service si®®* days of the Volunteers. They had ‘ pericnce in the early workings of Defence Act when riots in camp * t j stone-throwing episodes at parades were matters of frequent i eurrence. We have not heard or s in the last ten years. The yootn the country' has come into h® € * the officers and non-commissioned cers in the Auckland Regimental ’ trict at least have volnnteero to remain in the service twelve months to units alive, and there are thre dred volunteers in and around t ilton. Can Mr. Bloodworth these gentlemen with their firsa knowledge are not in the better - tion to tesUfy as to the efficacj Compulsory Military Training- _ b . The Harbour Board was P letfe* right in merely receiving _t«tutorf and not discussing it. As a = body, an expression from the dw™ v such, -would be outside the its responsibilities, but an ,-iduals from the members as individual c-jpvins as they do tery r P positions in the City would rT1 p! with respect. From the = Srr of the board and the ® ew ???ance* it ports of their individual uttersis clear that as majority is in favour ot comp ! military service.