WAR UPHELD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 45, 22 February 1940, Page 11

WAR UPHELD.

DOMINION LABOUR. FIGHT AGAINST AGGRESSION. • — NECESSITY REALISED. i (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. The New Zealand Labour movement's war policy and peace aims were discussed at a conference of the national executive of the New Zealand Labour party and the national council of the Federation of Labour to-day. There was a full attendance of national executive members of both organisations. The conference endorsed a statement that to fail now to render the fullest support in the fiyht against Nazi aggression would brand the Labour movement as politically irresponsible or worse. The peace aims outlined by the leader of the British Labour party were also endorsed. It was stated" that there would be 110 conscription in New Zealand while Labour was in power. A declaration in favour of freedom of speech and opinion was made. The conference adopted the following statement to be submitted for endorsement by the annual conference of the Labour party and the Federation of Labour to be held at Easter:— Whole-hearted Support. "After an examination of events leading up to the war and the trend of international affains to date, this conference endorses the manifestos issued by the executive of the New Zealand Labour party and the Federation of Labour in connection with New Zealand's participation in the war. We endorse the action of our Government in cooperating with Britain and France in their resistance to Nazi aggression, and also the statements made in connection therewith by the Prime Minister and deputy-Prime Minister, and we pledge our whole-hearted support to assist the y Government to bring the war to a speedy and successful termination in the interests of the common people of all countries. » "Our standard of living and culture are not excelled by that of the people of any other country. Self-government by the people of New Zealand within the British Commonwealth of Nations m the best guarantee of the continuation of our liberties and the protection and improvement of the living standards of the people of New Zealand. "Ever since the conclusion of the last war the Labour movement in New Zealand has followed the same policy as the British Labour movement in relation to international justice and fair dealing between nations, and has consistently advocated a united stand of democratic nations against the aggressions of the dictatorships. "Seriously Perturbed." "In common with the Labour movement throughout the world we were seriously perturbed at the former tendency of the British Government to retreat in the face of aggression, and even apparently to try to tnake terms with the Hitler regime. We tepeatedlv Ur «ttr re t r ® a t should cease. V d t s erefore wel «Hne the stand the British Government has taken against Nazi aggression, tut the Labour movement, after exerting its inauence in bringing about this alteration in British a eanrying-out of the policy of resistance £ aggiettion. The British Government -•UfU. «* taken the eoriree we repeatMim urged upon it. ' • - r % ' ■ j ' "llfli w» realise that the working pwyfo of Grtjpnany ; are lit no important ounces, and %■. w ™® we hope to -welcome- them hack v some day to co-operation with tbe International Labour movement, we ;,v must face tfte 1 situation aa it to -day. ■r" The German workers have no power to bt; express their', independent opinions, and . their been Mthlessly pi: suppressed. - f •< **We know that (Should Germany win S;- we must inevitably meet the same fate and lose every advantage we have | gained through years of struggle in the f : political and industrial In this struggle there can tie no neutrality, We therefore reaffirm our determination to do everything possible to overthrow the :V Nasi regime, and to that end we pledge

Government to outlined by the T^?^ 6 *^ e ?® ace 6ims Labour party Le&der of the British on the defenwof 9^ 9, * jaint state "ient by the SSL ' f demowaey was issued «o„ of federative of the Mrtv ment said, anion* otKhinl ."J opposed to convolution ,W al "® vice, either s s r r ' isrr = £ «'- ~ "We fnr«i OT j - n y aggressor.' =Pp«l ST-re s s^sf.a support ffr P r La ' bOUr in P° wer ' al, d to Government's voluntary ieti uiting campaign. " Urged To Help. "*• ur « e every member of the Labour movement to volunteer his or her services for utilisation, in the most effective way in which their knowledge experience and capacity can be used for the safety and progress of the Dominion. , doubt many of those who are agitating against conscription are sincere in their fears of its possibility in this country, but it appears to us that some at least are actuated more by a desire to make things awkward for the Labour Uovernment and create disunity within the Labour movement than by a genuine fear of conscription. . "^ e . support our Government's participation in this war because it is a war of democracy against aggressors who seek to destroy every 'democratic right and liberty that Labour has fought so hard and at such cost and sacrifice to win. Our movement has been built up on the basis of democracy and we believe in the maintenance of the democratic rights of the people in wartime as well as in times of peace. "We therefore declare ourselves in favour of a continuance of freedom of speech and opinion in New Zealand."