NATIONAL SERVICE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 December 1938, Page 8

NATIONAL SERVICE

—. —9 HOUSE OF COMMONS DEBATE OPENED RELIANCE ON VOLUNTARY PRINCIPLE. SIR J. ANDERSON’S VIEWS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.3 a.m.) RUGBY, December 6. The Lord Privy Seal (Sir John Anderson) opened the House of Commons debate on the Government’s proposals for national service. Local national service committees, he said, would be constituted on a widely representative basis.

Sir Johp Anderson emphasised that these committees would not have any of the functions of a recruiting authority. The national register itself would be in a number of parts, including the records prepared by the various recruiting authorities, and a special register of persons possessing exceptional professional or technical qualifications. The Minister described the machinery he was setting up to facilitate the compilation of a complete national register if that should ever become necessary in time of emergency. As to those at home who advocated a compulsory register, he thought there was confusion in their minds and that they really intended some form of compulsory service. It was very doubtful what compulsion now could achieve. Even in time of war, there was no sharp antithesis between the voluntary principle and compulsion. Compulsion was of little use in getting people for jobs requiring judgment, initiative and discretion.

Mr A. Greenwood expressed the view that Labour would want more information regarding the industrial aspects of the. scheme. .. They would want safeguards against victimisation and the use of the new organisation against trade unions. Sir P. A. Harris (Liberal) congratulated Sir J. Anderson on building his scheme on the sure foundations of voluntary principles, but Mr L. S. Amery (Conservative), who followed, expressed disappointment.