CONSCRIPTION ISSUE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 February 1940, Page 6

CONSCRIPTION ISSUE

DEFENCE LEAGUE'S ATTITUDE. SUPPORT FROM MASTERTON COUNTY COUNCIL. A decision to give whole-hearted support to the New Zealand Defence League’s advocacy of the immediate imposition of conscription was made at the monthly meeting of the Masterton County Council yesterday. Stating that the difficulty of finding sufficient men even for the Second Echelon of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force had convinced the Dominion executive of the New Zealand Defence League that in the very probable event of a long war the necessary man power could not be found by the voluntary system, the president and campaign secretary of the New Zealand Defence League wrote inviting the council’s urgent consideration of the matter. The letter stated that in any event the voluntary system was not an equitable method in that: it left to individual decision a matter of national importance. The League believed that personal sacrifice for national safety should be as universal as the liability to taxation or as the privilege of the franchise. Those who supported the voluntary system it was considered, apparently believed that it was the obligation of a man who possessed a sense of duty to protect the life, the family and the property of the man who did not. As a representative body, the League invited the council to express an opinion on the subject of universal compulsory national ser? vice whereby all citizens would be allotted tasks to which they were best suited in war time, whether as combatants or otherwise so as to ensure as far as possible, equality of sacrifice on the part of all the people, and to send to the League the result of the discussion. 1

In the event of replies being favourable to that principle it was proposed by the League to place the decisions before the Government and endeavour to impress upon Cabinet the weight of public opinion behind the ideal, so that they may substitute for the present system one which was democratic in conception, equitable in operation and economic in results. In addition it was stated that the individual members of the League's executive were satisfied by personal experience that the young men who would bo involved in overseas service would welcome any national scheme which would provide for the proposals as stated above. It was considered by the League that it was a proposal which was definitely of national importance at the moment and was as definitely apart from party politics. It urged that the council give its opinion at the earliest possible moment as they could not over-stress the urgency of the matter. “I do not think that the Government is quite consistent, in that lheyi are already using compulsion in all phases of commercial and civic life Io save themselves, and yet to save the nation they arc quite content to do nothing except allow the voluntary system to ' remain,’’ stated Councillor W. I. Armstrong. “When Mr Fraser was in Europe he must have been fully informed of the necessity for the imposition of war time measures,” Mr Armstrong added. “I had hopes, when he came back, that he would change the attitude of some of his colleagues —the attitude which seems to have been adopted in New Zealand today. I consider that the League should receive our full support."

In adding his support to the proposals, the chairman. Mr R. E. Gordon Lee, stated: "The lime seems to have arrived when something will have to be done. Major-General Freyberg and Brigadier-General Sir Herbert Hart have slated, perhaps diplomatically, that conscription certainly should be brought in. It should bo done, as 1 consider that at the present time we are losing all (he good men, especially so off the land.” concluded Mr Lee.