NAVAL DEFENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 June 1921, Page 2

NAVAL DEFENCE.

PRONOUNCEMENT BY R.S.A. ONE-POWER STANDARD NECESSARY. INCOME OF CANTEEN FUNDS VOTED. Since its inception in 1916 the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association has primarily, and very naturally, occupied itself with the immediate economic needs of the exservice man. With the gradual repatriation and settlement of the men, however, thq association has latterly turned its attention to public and national problems, remembering that its duty io individual members is to safeguard their interests not only as returned soldiers, but also as citizens of Now Zealand and of the Empire as a whole. At its fifth annual conference, held In Dunedin ten days ago, special attention was given to Imperial problems, and very interesting (and in some eases notable) speeches were made during the discussions on the recent convention of ex-service men of the Empire at Capetown, on the subject of Immigration, and on the question of how the New Zealand Expeditionary Force canteen funds should be allocated. The most outstanding pronouncement made was on tl:e last-named subject. It will be remembered that the surplus profits from tho N.Z.E.F. canteens run in New Zealand, on the transports, in the United Kingdom, France,, Flanders, Germany, Egypt, and Palestine were announced as exceeding £BO,OOO, and that the Government has set up a Canteen Funds Disposal Board to consider the use to which the money should be put. At the quarterly meeting of the Dominion executive' in February, ft motion was passed authorising the president to set up a special conunittee to consider the question of the diipcsal of the funds. The report of this committee was presented to the conference at Dunedin in the form of a resolution, which was moved on behalf of his colleagues by Mr. R. B. Bell, and reads as follows: This conference begs to submit the following statement to the Canteen Funds Disposal Board regarding the disposal of the canteen funds, amounting to over £BO,OOO :

(1) That as the canteen funds were accumulated out of the purchases of the members of the N.Z.E.F. generally, without any direct expectation that the same would be paid to the members individually, this conference is cf opinion that the funds may be fittingly used in the main for altruistic objects likely to commend themselves to the judgment of the majority of returned soldiers, subject, however, to the general principle that the capital of the fund stall be conserved for the immediate future. (2) This conference, as representative of the Expeditionary Force, and as in part trustee for those liberties for which the N.Z.E.I. fought, suffered, or died, accordingly desires to make the following declarations and recommendations:

(a) That it is desirable to commemorate the spirit and deeds of the New Zealand regiments in the Great War, and for this purpose this conference begs to recommend to the Canteen Funds Disposal Board that a sufficient portioi) of the canteen funds be set aside for the purpose of preparing and publishing regimental histories. (b) That although this conference is not of opinion that the peace of the world is ideally kept by national and International arrangements based on a balance of power, r.nd although it does not approve of armed preparations for other than defensive purposes, it yet believes in the necessity for the proper defence of the British Empire and its free institutions, and, In particular, in the paramount need for adequate naval, defence. (c) That since the population of Great Britain, contributes <?n an average an annual amount of over £2 per head to the support of the British Navy, while the New Zealand contribution Is only about 5s per head per annum, this conference is of opinion that New Zealand should forthwith assume its due share of the burden. (d) That since it is not clear that the League of Nations is yet capable of assuming responsibility for, and enforcing the principles of justice among the nations, this conference views with profound misgivings the decline of British naval power below a one-power standard, and urges the Government to use every effort to secure the adoption of a one-power standard as an irreducible minimum. (e) That as an earnest of Its sense of the urgent need for public recognition and satisfaction of the requirements of naval defence, this conference begs to recommend to the Canteen Funds Disposal Board that the interest from the fund should be applied to such objects as may best secure such public recognition and satisfaction, provided, however, that the moneys shall not. be applied In substitution of any Government liability. (3) That this conference, realising that the principles of justice, law, and order among the nations can only be enforced by a league of which all nations may in due course become members, hereby formally places on record its emphatic support of the principle of the League of Nations, and anxiously looks to a time not distant when the league will finally abolish the need for rival armaments.

(4) That this resolution be referred to the following committee to consider the methods by which the foregoing general lines of action can be most effectively applied. with power to bring down a final and detailed report for consideration by the next annual general meeting of the council:—Sir Andrew Russell, Messrs. E. W. Inder. B. J. Jacobs, D. S. Smith, D. J. B. Seymour, W. E. Leadley, the Hon. W. Downle Stewart, Mr. T. W. McDonald, and Mr. R. R. Bell (convener).