WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3337, 15 November 1919, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS

DEFENCE PROBLEMS OF THE

FUTURE.

(Special « Col'ré.spondent.)

WELLNGTON, Nov. 14.

The defence policy of New Zealand has been held over for consideration

by the new Parliament. The future organisation and strength of the ‘territorial force, the system of training, and the al'rang'onlcnts for naval defence are lnattexrs that await décision.

But in the meantime masses of war material are arriving in the Dominion with returning troops. The Minister for Defence has stated that arms and equipment for two divisions are being brought to this country. The articles had been bought and paid for before the war ended, and they could not be sold except at a great sacrifice in Britain or France. Just what. is going to happen to all this material nobody seems to know. There is some reason to fear 'l'h-at most of it will moulder in defence stores unless MCin—isters show active interest in its disposal. ‘Many powerful ,(m.otor waggens have been landed from the transports lately. They are eminently suitable for use by the Public Works Department or local bodies, and it seems poor policy to hold them in store, or retain them for occasional use by the Defence .Department, 5:1 the off chance of another war occurring within the next ten years. ‘There appears to be other gear among the equipment that could be used in one way or the other by the people of New. Zealand.

THE ‘PARTY TRUGE. People here co.ntinue ‘to discuss the text of the party truce produced by Sir Joseph Wnrd at his Christchurch meeting at the beginning -of the week. Strangely enough; scarcely a dozen members of ~ Parliarnent reeollected that the ragreement between Mr Massey and the leader of the‘Opposi'tion, in 1915, had beenredueed to writing. and even those who did were not aware of the location of the _“scrapVof paper” on whiéh the "terms of the arrangement were set out‘. It is being renrembered. now, however, that while the. Prime Minister has scarcely allud-M ed to the ‘document since Sir Joseph W|ar(l’s retirement from Cabinet, the leader of "the Opposition has quoted from it with c-o-nfidenee and precision. He/has contended that the “truce” eXpil'ed atrtomatieally on the signing of the Peace Treaty, and that in ‘the atqsenee of ny invirtattion from the Prime “Minister to leontinue ‘the arrangement he would ‘not have been justifietl in withholding his resignation for a single day longer than he did. “Thle National .'Governm!ent. to_:"continue in existence. until the war is officially settled.” These words seem to fix the duration of ‘the arrangement Aplairililyéfienough, and Sir Joseph. as he says‘ himself, would have placed himself in a very invidious position had he clung on" to office for a longer period than the contracting parties contemplated, particularly in ‘the absence of any wish »to that e-fliectl-’expresse(l. by the other side. ‘ A LIBERAL VIEW.

A prominent member of the Liberal Party, referring to th-e subject this morning, said he thought the people would recognise, in the light afforded by ‘the text of the agreement, that Sir Joseph Ward had nolalfernative to retirement from the Cabinet, and that he could not with any dignity have postponed his withdrawal to *3. day longer than he/‘did. Even if Mr Massey had invited him to remain he could not have done so without consulting the members of his own party, and they already had declared for the termination of the arrangement. at the earliest possible: moment. They had felt that. the slow progress of the war had compelledthem to a. much longer period of inactivity than they had expected in 1915, and that their party was getting much the worst. of the. bargain, while the extreme "socialists Were -gaining ground every day through no middle course being placed before the electors. At the same time this -authority thinks there will be a. strong disposition in the new Parliament, if not towards a coalition, at least towards a better understanding between the parties——all three of them——an<ll av franker recognition of one another’s rights and privileges. It is an optimistic View which sane men on all sides‘ still hope to see realised.