MR SAVAGE’S VIEWS ON CONSCRIPTION

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22435, 23 June 1938, Page 11

MR SAVAGE’S VIEWS ON CONSCRIPTION

REPORT PROMISED FOR HOUSE OF COMMONS LIBRARY LONDON, June 21. In the House of Commons Lord Stanley, Dominions Secretary, told Sir Geoffrey Mander (Liberal) that he was placing in the library when it was available, a full report of Mr M. J. Savage’s speech on conscription. Mr Mander: Will you convey to the Cabinet Mr Savage’s idea that he would not begin with the conscription of flesh and blood? Lord Stanley: That raises another matter. .

[“I remember the time when we had compulsion in New Zealand, and we only carried the thing half-way,” said Mr Savage, when replying to a deputation of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Defence League on June 2. "We conscripted men and we created a debt of £80,000,000. While men were dying, other people were getting rich. That is not going to happen again while this Government is in power. There is more to be done than conscripting men, and no one living to-day can say what will be necessary when the nation is placed with its back to the wall, fighting for its life, but whatever is necessary when it comes to compulsion, we should not begin with human flesh and blood. We should see tV. t the men who do the fighting are properly looked after while they are lighting and are not called upon to pay the debts and their children’s children to pay the interest on the debts created for centuries to come.”]

“GREATNESS THRUST UPON ME” MR SAVAGE REAFFIRMS HIS REMARKS (75839 ASSOCIATION TELKOBAU.) WELLINGTON, June 22. “Some people are born great, others have greatness thrust upon them. I am afraid I am having :t thrust upon me,” said the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage), in commenting this evening on references in the British House of Commons to his recent statement that conscription would not begin with flesh and blood.

“I. don’t take anything back," Mr Savage added. “I believe in what I said. When a nation is fighting for its life its wealth as well as its manhood should be brought into its defence, and when its wealth comes in its manhood will not need to be conscripted.”