SOLDIERS AND PARTY POLITICS.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 191, 13 August 1919, Page 9

SOLDIERS AND PARTY POLITICS.

(To tbe Editor.) Sir, —It ia a day of surprises. Only a month or so ago the R.S.A. reaffirmed its political action policy on non-party lines; to-day it has entirely reversed its decision, and aims at the creation of a returned soldiers' party, whose aim is to sweep the country at the next election, and incidentally to provide the new Cabinet probably from the Auckland R.S. executive, plus the Waikato R.S.A. It makes one rub one's eyes and wonder. What has caused the sudden change? Who has hypnotised them for such a change must have some solid reason behind it. There were certainly very few reasons given at the meeting, as the principal portion of the time was taken up by the programme suggested, even before the resolution was put to the meeting. Beyond the discussion of the programme, few arguments were used, and they mostly were two-edged, and could be used for or against the motion. 1 can assure the executive that if they have their own way, as seems likely, they are simply sacrificing the returned soldiers' interests to their own ambitions. As it even failed to convert the conference to its non-party political action resolution, how does it think it will convert them to its new policy? If it does not it cannot go any further, unless the Auckland Provincial Executive think it can win the country by disunion. Among the R.S. associations unity is essential before anything can be done, and there is no prospect of it. The R.S.A. quite overestimate their strength in the country. As they well know, they can't even rely on returned soldiers, as many have gone back to civil life, and will vote according to their own ideals, and the R.S.A. has in actual fact very little influence apart from soldiers' affairs —this they will soon realise. Let them retain their influence by refusing to be drawn by the red herring of party politics, for if they do not I can assure them that they "will (as in other countries) find themselves a discredited section, with no members in the Legislatures, and no influence with the nation.—l am, etc.. ONE OF THE TEN".