LABOR AND DEFENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 July 1920, Page 5

LABOR AND DEFENCE.

GENERAL RUSSELL'S VIEWS. ~-. i , INTERESTING OPINIONS. J Br Ttlnraph.—Prew AuoelUlM. Wellington, Last night' , A deputation from the National Defence League, headed by General Sir AndreVl ] Russell, waited upon the annual conference of the New Zealand Labor Party to-day. An official report of tl» ceedings was supplied as follows: ' « "General Russell addressed the meet- , Ing bv favdr of the conference. He Jrer ifi ■ ferred to the objects and aspirations >of the National Defence League, and at {be conclusion of his remarks a number of i questions wero asked. i ■ • i "The first question was what guarantee have we that the forces which the League proposes to set up dull not be uped or employed agai«st workers in industrial disputes. Gensfal Russell replied that he was not in fafor of using troops in cases of industrial -t disputes. The country that did to was quite wrong. He admitted to m ' interjector that he took part against the workers in the 1913 strike, but purely as an individual. He did not Intend to do so again. . ; ' "The General was asked. wßether (t Was in favor of the rele«w pf all'conscientious objectors, ana repfled: Ti». In answer to a further question f* , to whether ho would be prepared to pu|» ' r licly advocate their release, he reputf: I will publicly advocate anyttog I h&ft advocated before Ibhis conference. He was jwked how,he himself treateS conscientious objectors during the war. lfi 1 Btated that only one case came direct? J Under his nitice. A soldier had refnMg to take part in an attack upon a fo#i | ward position, and he directed the cNfr manding officer to give. the soldier ait* ! othet chance. , He himself talked wit* * the man, and he proposed that the maM should have a free handjor six montS to look around and see the suffering of 1 sis weeks the man way still of the same opinion, so he was at' turned to the base. T • • -the question of capital punishment, General Russell advocated a revision the Army List. His own* opinion km ' that in warfare there were certain things which called for severe punishment • could not" say definitely whether he was in favor of the abolition of the death penalty. He admitted Australia abolished the death penalty, but not so New Zealand. "Another question was: You say to: preserve peace we must prepare for ! war. Is not, then, an unarmed (Sir- 1 ™ an iL a ® enaca to the peace of the world? General Russell replied that the questions were getting too deep for him. An unarmed Germany would ho a menace to the peace of the world, because it would invite attack from hostile countries.

r^ e r r /l Ru9Sell refused t0 the Insh and Russian affairs. Ee exprened Hie opinion that the Colofllfc ifcould have a say in foreign and Imperial : not believe»war would finish war. The only waV to dS, h!f- T , t0 r ? striet tie of the individual, and not promote thoM passions which made for war." The conference did not come to any decision respecting its attitude towards the League,