COMPULSION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 145, 20 June 1940, Page 10

COMPULSION.

"IS THE KEY NOTE." MR. FRASER HITS OUT. PLEA FOR NATIONAL TTNITY. (By ■ Telegraph—Parliamentary Reporter.) ■'"■■.' WELLSX&mii, this.day. Describing the speech ,of., the .Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Hamilton,, as one of party-partisan politics, the Prime Minister,. Mr. Fraser, contrasted the .attitude of Mr. Hamilton'with that of other 'members of the ' House. He referred to tli'e way the member for Stratford (Mr. W. J: Poison)' had come forward and offered his services to inspire and encourage the farming community. Other members of both parties had done likewise, i ■ .'■ "" ■ '

Mr. Fraser said that one' of *the.first tasks to be undertaken by the War Council was consideration of the War Emergency Regulations. Some of thoEe who had been appointed to the Council

had had long military experience, and they would have to consider what action was necessary in respect to compulsory enrolment. Many intricate problems would have to. be solved. There was compulsion for home service and for overseas service, and there was the interlocking of both. Men might be tailed up this month, for instance, for homo service, and go into the' ballot for overseas service a month or two afterwards. No regulations or' Act of Parliament could provide the details'for any such scheme. .":■'■■, J How. Operated. ■'"'. , . . "Compulsion: is the keynote/' continued the Prime Minister;/ /'Compulsion in regard to persons and property. It is the whole body of the regulations and the legislation. .It is just-a , ques-. tion of how it. will be put into operation." Decisions had to be made, and if they did not honestly reflect the spirit and letter of the legislation it would be a fraud oh the people. Referring to the national register, Mr. Fraser said that the country -had been told that it could not be completed within a certain period of months. "We are thinking in minutes, not in.months now," he added. '.■.'■' -- ■ ..- An Opposition Voice: Twelve months too late! ' ' "' ';.■''. The Prime Minister said' if he had asked the Opposition six months ago to agree to conscription for overseas, how. many would have agreed? Home Defence. Opposition Chorus: All of us.. ' Mr. Fraser said that from discussions he had had with members he knew that all would not have agreed. There were men of military knowledge who had always favoured conscription for home defence. There was no question of general compulsion as long as the situation remained as it was then and volunteers were available when required for overseas. . ':..• ... What had been agreed to between the New Zealand and British Governments had been carried out, but the. moment things appeared to be going against the war effort action was taken without hesitation. He knew of no Minister or member of the Government who was complacent. Advice was taken from those who were able to give it and everything possible, done. The position was one of changing situations. At this stage the Prime Minister-dis-cussed equipment and at his own request was cut off the air. National Unity. . Mr. Fraser went on to say that at present he had less consideration for party politics than at any other time in his life. He was more concerned about national unity. He did not care whether he was Prime Minister or "out of it," but he was anxious that no word should bn spoken in the House .that would make any division more divided. They were facing an unprecedented position and he did not know what might happen in the future. The Battle of Britain might become the. Battle of New Zealand.Mr. J. G. Coates (National, Kaipara): Surely the Battle of the Empire, isn't it? The whole of the Commonwealth was in the fight, Mr. Fraser said, and there was a responsibility on them all. He did not wish to stifle criticism, but acrimonious criticism and incendiary speeches were not in-the best intercuts of the war effort. If they were going to have many speeches like the one that opened the debate the people would turn their minds buck to Cromwellian times and wonder if Parliament was of any use at all. ..,,.'.'