INTRODUCTION OF CONSCRIPTION

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23051, 20 June 1940, Page 8

INTRODUCTION OF CONSCRIPTION

* Consideration By War Council MANY PROBLEMS INVOLVED [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, June 19. • The introduction of conscription for military service, the Prime Minister (the Hon. P. Fraser) said in the House of Representatives this afternoon, will be considered by the War Council at its-t first meeting, probably this week. He said that many problems were involved, and the regulations could provide only the machinery. Answering a question as to what the Government was going to do with the national service regulations, Mr Fraser said they were entirely in line with the act in operation during the last war. They could provide only the machinery. One -of the first jobs of the War Council when it met, which he hoped, would be this week, would be: to decide what action to take to enforce compulsory enrolment. The council included men- -with long and important- military experience. The problems. Were intricate, including compulsion for home service and overseas service, and the interlocking of both services. • Men might be called up this month for home service, and probably in a month or two for overseas service. It would be humanly impossible for any regulations or act to provide for all the details of any scheme.

, “All I can Say is that compulsion is the keynote of the regulations—compulsion in regard to persons and property, and it is just a question of how that is to be put into operation,” said the Prime Minister. “That will be the very first problem the War Council will have to consider. There is no shirking -of the issue: There are a number of problems to be decided, such "as the dovetailing of the remaining volunteers into the compulsory system. Decisions have to be made. If they do not reflect the spirit and the letter of the regulations, they will be a fraud on the people.” Discussing the 'Compilation of a national register of manpower,' Mr Fraser 'said- that it would hot hold up anything. An Opposition member: Twelve months too late. : “Which. one of you would have advocated conscription for overseas service six months ago?” challenged the Prime Minister. '

Opposition members: All. “No,” replied Mr Fraser. “I know that "from discussion with members. Some- of the" men with military knowledge on the Opposition benches were in favour of compulsion for home defence, as a reservoir for overseas service."

V Mr H. S. S. Kyle (Opposition, RiccOrton): All of them. * There was no suggestion of compulsion as long as the situation remained as it was, and the volunteers came forward, replied the Prime Minister; but the moment the situation developed, and it became apparent that things were to go against the war effort and the Mother Country, that was the time there should be no hesitation. - With the change in the situation, the question of home-defence had surged up. Every suggestion was cipnsidered, and questions were being «Jealt with with the maximum speed and organisation at the urging of the Government.

TERRITORIAL

FORCES

WAR ESTABLISHMENT . PLANNED

GOVERNMENT’S PROPOSALS [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, June 19. The bringing up of the territorial forces to war. establishment was announced in the House of Representatives to-night by the Minister for Defence (the Hon. F. Jones). Proposals lor the new scheme were being considered, he said. “The register is to be completed, and we are asking those engaged on it to work three shifts,” said the Minister, dealing with land forces. "On the first register will probably be all single men between the ages of 19 and 45, and on the second all married men between those ages. Among the questions that have to be considered are the .taking of bailot quotas, and whether there is to be a national ballot. The first question we have to decide is what the establishment of the land forces in this Dominion will be, and we are facing up to it.” The General Staff deserved every thanks for the way it had worked to build up the Expeditionary Force, equipping it, and sufficiently training it to go overseas. The General Staff was now busy with plans and proposals for the territorial force. Officers and non-commissioned officers were receiving a month’s training, and at the beginning of July 2000 men, or a fortress battalion, would enter a three months’ course. The proposals had been examined again, and the Government was now proposing to take all officers and non-commissioned officers into the army school and give them an instruction course of a month or two months. Results could not be gained without qualified tutors. Possibly the training would be extended during the winter months, and when the time was opportune the men would be put into camp for approximately two or three months for more extensive training. He was satisfied that New Zealand would have a fairly well-trained force in the country. Equipment was a problem in the Old Country; but the United States and Canada were doing all possible to meet the deficiency caused by the loss of equipment in France and Belgium. New Zealand was endeavouring to bring its equipment to the modern scale. The difficulties had been realised over the last four years. The Expeditionary Force was well equipped in clothing, and any surplus clothing could be sent overseas for other troops. •