The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and The Echo and The Sum. MONDAY,, FEBRUARY 22, 1937 "NO CONSCRIPTION."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 44, 22 February 1937, Page 6

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and The Echo and The Sum.

MONDAY,, FEBRUARY 22, 1937 "NO CONSCRIPTION."

For the onue that locks MMtoMi, For the wrong that needs resistance For the future in the distance, And the good that «ce omn do.

The Government, Mr. Savage declared on Saturday, is "opposed to conscription in all forms," and the Act, at present suspended, which requires compulsory military training is likely to be repealed. It had not been expected that the present Government would reintroduce compulsory training, but the Government has intimated at various times that it recognises that defence forces are necessary, and has declared its intention of providing them. Mr. Savage's announcement therefore would have been more useful if he had nsed the occasion to make a positive statement of the Government's defence policy. It is not sufficient to say that defence will not be neglected and (by inference) that the methods formerly employed to provide territorial forces were faulty or undesirable. The question is: What does the Government propose to do, in the light of the experience of the pu«t and of the warnings of present-day circumstances to build up defences for the Dominion which shall be reasonably adequate to meet foreseeable needs?

Since the Great War, an<l even since the Abyssinian war, the value attached to masses of men in warfare has been considerably reduced. "Technical quality counts, not drilled quantity." But it has been realised also that in modern warfare not only the combatant forces, but the whole nation, is involved, and that, in consequence, defence preparations must include the preparation of the civilian population to play its parts, some of which are more important than the work assigned to the soldier, sailor or airman. The New Zealand Government, indeed, has recognised this fact by appointing a number of committees to study and report on the special problems -involved. If these reports have been made, and plans prepared accordingly, they are still "paper plans." The public is still unaware of the parts which it must be required to play if the plans are to be of any practical worth.

Whatever the Government's defence policy may be, it will require for its successful operation the services, in one capacity or another, of a considerable number of people. How will such service be induced f It is probably incorrect to say that the voluntary principle has failed, for a policy which appealed to the imagination of the people would be certain of greater support than is now noticeable, but —is it right that service for the good ?f the whole community should be given only by the willing and energetic fewT There is an impression that universal service is associated onjy with the dictatorship countries, but the sturdy, independent and democratic people of Switzerland not only require universal military service, but two years ago they voted —in a referendum —in favour of increasing the period of training of recruits. Few people are exempt from training, and those excused or rejected are required to pay a tax in lieu of service. It is for the Government of this democratic country to consider whether a principle which is accepted, and was so recently endorsed, in Switzerland, should be summarily discarded in New Zealand.