"ADEQUATE DEFENCE."

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 141, 17 June 1930, Page 19

"ADEQUATE DEFENCE."

NATIONAL LEAGUE'S AIM.

ANSWER TO OBJECTIONS.

A STATEMENT BY SIR A. RUSSELL.

(By Telegraph. —Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, Monday.

"The mission of the recently revived National Defence League of New Zealand is to see that among other pressing problems of the moment the need for adequate defence is not lost sight of on = account of apathy or misunderstanding, said Sir Andrew Russell, Dominion president of the league in a statement this evening. "The league proposes to educate people by placing the facts before them, and having every confidence m the soundness of judgment of New Zealanders and their loyalty, has no doubt as to the ultimate result." Sir Andrew said the league supported the universal system' of military training because it believed every man and woman owed a service to his or her country. . It supported territorial training because it believed in its educational value and its encouragement of discipline which was essential to law, order and public morality. Attitude to League of Nations. "If any reference to the League of Nations is necessary," said Sir Andrew, "it may be stated at once that the National Defence League stands firmly behind the League of Nations in the hope that it may on the moral plane by open discussion of international needs and differences, and by its open and wholly right condemnation of war, gradually bring about such a change in the present attitude of nations and races toward one another that a defence league and an armed nation would become anachronisms. The Defence League holds that disarmament should follow, and will follow, a change in heart, not that it should precede it. 'Tn the meantime, in view of the present position of Europe, India, and of the world, we want adequate provision for the defence of New Zealand and of the Empire in case of need. Let the League of Nations carry on the wholly essential work it is doing in the interests of mankind, and let us support it. "Of the argument that to be armed and able to defend our liberty encourages or makes for war, the answer is that it depends on the temper and the mind of the nation so armed, not on weapons or knowledge of their use. Expense Objection Not Valid. "Opposition to defence on the grounds of cost hardly seems a valid, objection I in this country when one considers how much is spent on drink, the totalisator, luxury, motor cars and on pleasure. It is impossible to say under such circumstances that there is no money left for the adequate defence of our ideals, our standard of life, our material possessions and to meet the obligations we owe toward the defence of the Empire to which we belong. The fact that every penny that can be spared is required to cope with unemployment is unfortunatelv true enough, but money spent; on training, outside the purchase of equipment which is made overseas, does not aggravate, but on the contrary relieves unemployment by giving employment. f< J3urin°* the years of war and reflecting on the chances and position of those engaged, it was inevitably borne in 011

one's mind how fortunate were those of us who falling had at least no fear for the material welfare of our dependents. This reflection served to strengthen the conclusion that the material cost of defence should fall on the shoulders of those most able to bear it. The poor pay heavily enough ii\ any case."