What shall we do with Soldiers and Sailors?

New Zealand Listener, Volume 6, Issue 153, 29 May 1942, Page 6

What shall we do with Soldiers and Sailors?

EW ZEALAND has more men in uniform to-day than ever before in its history. Soldiers, sailors, airmen-our own and some from the United States-crowd our cities every week-end. Soon the number will be greatly increased, and the problem of entertaining them greatly complicated. It will in fact be a bigger problem of its kind than the Dominion has ever before had to tace. "The Listener" has therefore looked it over a little, and asked some representative people tor opinions about it. These opinions we now pass on to our readers in the spirit in which they were first offered to us. They are perhaps, at this stage, impressions rather than opinions, but they at least show what the situation already is or will soon become. The problem is no longer, in these days, what shall we do with the drunken sailor, but how shall we fill the leisure hours of soldiers, sailors; and airmen far from home and drawn from every. section and class of the community. For convenience we have made our inquiries in Wellington only, but it is a case in which what is true of one centre is more or less true of all.

kinds operate in Wellington alone to welcome men of the fighting forces, and .most of them have either affiliated branches or local equivalents in other centres. The Hon. Vincent Ward, M.L.C., who is secretary of the Wellington Provincial Patriotic Council, showed us the notice that is made available to the men, giving the localities, descriptions, and telephone numbers of the various places of entertainment. They include the Y.M.C.A., Toc. H, Everyman’s Club, . Seaman’s Institute, Spinsters’ Club and so on. Wellington will shortly have a Combined Services Club in Dixon Street with 200 beds, showers, games and cafetaria, but no dancing. This club is under construction now. Mr. Ward said that on general lines, these provisions were similar to those of the other centres, and if American troops came they would be welcome to share them with the present users. Some extension might become necessary of course. Mr. Ward also showed us a notice which is posted on all ships in port Saying that commissioned ranks are honary members, while in port, of the Wellesley Club and the Commercial Travellers’ Association, while all ranks will be welcome at the Wellington Working Men’s Club. _ A useful service performed by the Department of Internal Affairs is the subject of many letters of appreciation written to Mr. Ward. This is the provision of transport to inland districts, This would be available to Americans. "Worship the Primary Duty" HE Catholic Church does not forbid recreation, but regards worship as the primary duty on Sundays, according to an authority of the Church. "We are actually in favour of Sunday entertainment, provided it does not interfere with the fulfilment of religious duties," he said. "In other words, we think that such entertainment should not be in progress while services are being held." It was explained to The Listener that though the Catholic Church had already decided its attitude in detail, it was not prepared to amplify the statement of principle until the situation became concrete. A Presbyterian View NEW ZEALANDER in the States wouldn’t ask the Americans to give up baseball just because he happened to hate it, would he?" asked the Rev. Gladstone Hughes, a Presbyterian Minister of Wellington. "I’d make a strong point of saying that I think the last thing the Americans — as good democrats-would want, would be to interfere with the customs and institutions of the country which is their host." Mr. Hughes said he spoke only for ‘himself, and did not claim to represent the views of the Presbyterian Church as a whole. "If they come here, naturally our Church wants to join in making them welcome, but the Presbyterian Church likes to be conservative in the best sense, and it regards Sunday as one of those institutions which are valuable and essential to the best life of the community. We have consistently opposed entertainments on Sundays: we don't question the right of the individual to use Sunday in his own way; that is a matter for his own conscience. But we feel that anything organised would be 16 organisations of various

against the purpose of the institution." "Cinemas and theatre entertainments of all kinds came under the category," Mr. Hughes said. It was quite possible, though, that the Church would continue what it was already doing in the way of providing teas for men of the armed forces, and would make the same services available to Americans. "The Only Limitation" "THE important thing is the highest possible usefulness of Sunday, and no mere sectarian usefulness," said the Rev. H. W. Newell, a Minister of the Congregational Church, "The only limitation is that free opportunity should remain for men to attend services of worship; entertainments need not in-

terfere with that at all. But I certainly don’t think that those whose consciences will not permit them to have organised entertainments on a Sunday should deny them to the others. "As for the nature of Sunday enter-tainment-I think that we should keep it more sober and worthy than the things some of the reports from Australia describe. I imagine that the general Christian conscience of New Zealand is actually in favour of retaining a fairly dignified character for Sunday functions. "A word of praise is due to The Listener for attempting to forestall some of the confusion that has occurred in Australia," said Mr. Newell. "I don't

know what your findings will be, but I hope we can go into this matter with a unified spirit. We don’t want to leave a sense of grudge, as there undoubtedly would be if all the Churches put their foot down and denied men of the armed forces the right to enjoy themselves on Sundays." "The Safeguards of Sunday" ‘THE Rev. W. A. Burley, Chairman of the Wellington Methodist District, said: "Sunday is a gift of God to man, to be used for man’s highest interests. It is made for man, not man to fit into it. "Christians observe Sunday because it commemorates the day when Jesus rose from the dead. From the very nature of it, this use of Sunday cannot be imposed by compulsion on the whole community. "Still, it has been proved that man in general needs periods of rest and one day in seven is an ideal proportion. In its own interests the community should not allow any demand to encroach on this day of rest. Any organised games or entertainments mean work for some. At present there is a good deal of necessary work and some that is totally unnecessary. The number already engaged in work on Sundays should not be increased." The Advantage to Us "\/HAT overseas troops will need," said a prominent educationist, in an interview, "is not so much things done for them as the facilities to do things for themselves. Actually, it is we who should cash in on this. People with a different background to our own may be coming to New Zealand. Whatever we have to offer to them, they will have a lot to offer to us. We have suffered from our isolation from the outside world. If American troops come, they will bring their own Army Educational Schemes and their own amusements, though, of course, coming as they do from a country where Sunday entertainments are usual, they will naturally expect Sunday entertainment here, too." "Do you think places of entertainment should be open on Sunday?" "I cannot see why an American soldier should be expected to conform to our ideas just because he is sent to defend New Zealand, but Sunday entertainments are only a small part of the problem. This is a chance to get an understanding between two peoples, and that must be done on a broader basis. The planning should be on _ various levels. Highbrows on one level if you like, and lowbrows on another. Take sports. Even there, where we might expect to mix most freely, we will find that there are not so many sports that we play in common. The American would shudder at the things that we do with a football. The whole ‘scheme should be thought out constructively, so that we may have a crossso to speak, between the two peoples. The first problem is to have something of our own for our men and then to gear it in. We need a big organisation with lectures, discussions, concerts, games, wrestling-every sort of activity, not just sporadic entertainment. We need to make any visiting soldiers and sailors feel at home and get to know (Continued on next page)

(Continued from previous page) us. So long as they are just, as it were, guests in the house having their hot water bottles filled and their slippers put out to warm, they will never get the easy relationship that we want to establish between our two countries, After all, we hope that the friendship will be lasting." Question of Film Supplies ‘THE president of the New Zealand : Film Exchanges Association (Mr. S. H. Craig), said: "The matter will be considered if and when any approach is made to us concerning film supplies. Up to this time, there has been no approach." Would Really Be Cheek "AS far as we are concerned," said a librarian in the Civil Service, "the question will be how far we can supplement what I expect the troops will bring with them. We can’t plan much for visiting troops. We are doing as much as we can for our army here. All the permanent camps have good libraries attached. The National Reserve certainly presents for us a new problem which we have not yet solved. The difficulty is to get enough books. It would really be cheek of us to say what we can do for visiting troops until. we can feel

that we are doing all that we possibly can for our own men. The Americans have a: morale division in their Army, and an Army Library Service Corps. They pioneered in providing libraries for the Army in the last war. It will be more of a problem providing them with good coffee and canned tomatoes," he said, with a smile. "And do you think that picture theatres should be open on Sundays?" "Most certainly. I can see no reason why good pictures should not be shown on Sundays. Loitering round the streets, which is, in fact, the usual alternative, can do nothing but harm." At the Museum "YES, we should certainly be willing and able to co-opeate in the entertainment of troops if we were asked to do so," said the director of the Dominion Museum in Wellington, Dr. Oliver. "We have in the Museum a hall that would seat 350, and quite a large number of educational and publicity films. Particularly those on New Zealand should be of some interest to men from overseas." "What do you feel about arranging for these to be shown on Sundays?" "The main difficulty there is with the staff. At present, we have only one operator, and while he would be willing

to give up some of his week-end time, it would hardly be fair to ask him to spend every Sunday on the job." "Would the Museum be able to give any special help to overseas men who are interested in any special scientific line? "Certainly. We are always glad to arrange tours round the Museum." Opposed To Opening Theatres "I THINK we should do something on a large scale to entertain men of our own and visiting forces," said Mrs. M. Perryman, editor of the official W.C.T.U. organ, White Ribbon, "But I am very much opposed to opening picture theatres on Sunday. Later on I feel it would be used as an excuse for making Sunday just like any other day of the week. And moreover even now we should have very little control over what was shown at Sunday cinemas. I feel that the provision of Sunday entertainment should be made the responsibility of the churches." Bread Upon The Waters "T SEE no objection to the opening of the. picture theatres on Sundays," said Mrs. G. Miller, of the Smith Family, Joyspreaders. "Provided, that is, that the films shown are wholesome entertainment. And I think it would "be possible to include films of an educational

nature. I imagine that members of visiting forces would be interested in seeing shorts describing New Zealand’s scenic wonders, and in addition this might well have *a beneficial effect on New Zealand’s tourist traffic in years to come. "Naturally no screenings would take place at the same time as Church services, so that there would be no objection from the religious point of view. "I don’t agree, however, with the policy of opening. Sunday entertainments for men of the Forces only. I suppose this applies to our own boys rather than to members of visiting forces, but I feel that the men need to go somewhere where they can take their girls." Peter Dawson’s Opinion | QUITE agree that something should be done about it," said Peter Dawson. "I remember when I was a digger in the last war that Sunday used to strike me as a damn dull day." "What about community singing?" we suggested, knowing Mr. Dawson’s strong suit. "Not much good. After all, the lads can community sing in camp if they want to: we should give them something they can’t have in camp. Open the picture theatres, but show good films. They get plenty of instructional films in camp. (More opinions on this subject will be found on page 14.)

WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH SOLDIERS AND SAILORS?

(Continued from page 7.) And give them variety. Why not have orchestras and dancing in all the restaurants?" Comparison With Egypt "VV ELLINGTON seems a very grey place to be stationed near after Egypt," said a soldier when questioned by The Listener. "There really are very good clubs for us in Cairo. There is for instance the Victory Club. This is a beautiful building with lounges, and rooms where you can sit and read and write. There is a very good café, and an excellent library, the nucleus of which was privately given. Lectures are given here and there are also societies for those who want to run special hobbies, photography for example. Attached I think to the Victory Club is the ‘Music for All.’ This is an old picture theatre that has been made over into a concert hall, Entertainments, lectures and concerts are given here nightly and there is music during the greater part of the day. The floor has been cleared and furnished with small tables and chairs and refreshments are also served. Altogether this was a very pleasant place and it has the additional advantage that we could take our civilian friends there. Then there is the New Zealand Services Club which provides everything down to a barber and a bootlace, and," he added with a smile, "bar open on Sundays. This is open to all ranks and to both sexes in the service, and is very popular with men from here. But these are only a few. There must be twenty or more clubs of this sort." "How do you get to know where to go and what is on?" "Well, at first we just had to find out ourselves, but now there is a weekly paper published specially for the men in the forces. It is called What to do, Where to go, What to see, and How to get there. There are lists of clubs and their charges, programmes of lectures and concerts and in fact every sort of entertainment, so that really we men have every chance of making the most of our time off. There may be some suggestions here for the people of Wellington. After all Egypt has had a good deal of experience with troops." A Sailor Speaks INALLY, we stopped a British naval rating in the street, and asked him what recreations there were for such as himself in Wellington. "Well," he said, "There’s not much for us to do on a Sunday. There are dances on Saturdays, but a lot of us ate tired when we get off. We don’t all want to dance. We don’t want to be fussed about. Most of us just want a place where we can sit quiet and read a book or write a letter or perhaps play a game of cards, or darts, or billiards. Christchurch is good in that respect. I reckon the South Island folk are a whole lot more friendly than the North Island, what I’ve seen of them." "Do you think it would help much to have hotels open on Sundays?" "Well, it might," he replied, "but that isn’t really what we want. We don’t want to spend a lot of cash, and we don’t want to get drunk. No sir! There’s a Jot talked about servicemen getting drunk

and being a nuisance, but the boys I know-well, they just don’t want to get drunk. They think too much of themselves. And in this country you have to lean over a bar. That’s no good, If you can sit at a table and talk, you don’t drink so much. That’s how it is in other places I’ve struck." "And what sort of entertainment would you like, say, on Sundays?" "Anything would be better than nothing. Pictures, plays-we like flesh and blood. And it would be nice if we could have an extra show by your Repertory company now and then for servicemen. A whole lot of us like music, too. Now look, every Sunday night the NBS puts over a concert, a good concert, a concert that many of our chaps would like to hear, but it’s from the studio, and we haven’t any receiving sets in the street. Why can’t they give the very same concert at the Town Hall like the ‘Proms’ in England? Go? of course we would go, especially if we servicemen aould get in free. I’ve a ticket here for to-morrow night’s concert — Peter Dawson, but I’ve had to pay ten bob for a seat. That’s a big hole out of my pay. But Sunday night concerts wouldn’t mean extra work. The Town Hall is there, the orchestra is therethey would be playing anyhow-so why not give us chaps a chance to hear it all?" "Do you think the men would like talks or lectures more or less educational?" "Too right we would. Not all, you never get all, but there would be quite a sprinkling. Look what they are doing in England. I reckon the war is a great educational opportunity, and it’s being wasted-out here, anyhow." He moved a package under his-arm, gramophone records. "There goes a chunk out of my pay," he said. "Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, played by Heifetz. I'll have some music when I’m at sea, anyway."