“AN UNFRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE”

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23052, 21 June 1940, Page 7

“AN UNFRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE”

NEGOTIATIONS FOR WAR CABINET MR FORBES’S COMPLAINT ANSWERED IFrom Our Parliamentary Reporter.! WELLINGTON, June 20. “It is impossible to have a worthwhile War Cabinet in an unfriendly atmosphere,” said the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes (Opposition, Hurunui), in the House of Representatives to-night during a review of the negotiations that took place between the Government and the Opposition for united control of the Dominion’s war effort. Mr Forbes expressed regret - that unity had not been achieved. “Members of the Opposition were offered practically the lowest grade of office that can be offered in any government, that of ministers without portfolio,” Mr Forbes said. “We felt that the Government was treating our offer with contempt.” The Opposition refused to join in a matter that was a shadow without a substance, he said. The feeling it was left with was that its representatives would enter the proposed War Cabinet of five as unwelcome guests. “We were intruders forcing our way into a family party,” he added. “That was the atmosphere. There was hostility all the way.” Mr Forbes said that while the Opposition had certainly made the first approaches to the Government, he could assure the Government that members were not seeking office for the sake of merely holding office. There was a tendency for the Government ' to regard the war as its own; but the Opposition and the many people -whom the Opposition represented were equally involved in the struggle, and had to make great sacrifices. Unless we get a friendly reception, we do not want to gate-crash,” he concluded. Reply by Mr Nash A denial that there was anything unfriendly in the attitude of the Government to the Opposition overHhe War Cabinet negotiations was made by Minister for Finsnce Ctlie Hon. when replying to the debate on the Imprest Supply Bill m the House -of Representatives to-night. The Minister added that he was still hopeful of unitv being achieved. “The Prime Minister, when discussing this matter with the Leader of the Opposition, was simple, honest, and clean in his desire to bring about unity,” Mr Nash said. “It has been suggested that the attitude adopted was unfriendly, and that those invited into the War Cabinet would be intruders. That is not so. and I hope that the negotiations will still be successful for, in spite of any feelings we may have of a political nature, there is nothing more important at present than mat we should get the people of the Dominion solidly behind the Government’s war effort.” It was questionable whether there had ever been a time in the history of the country when the people were mere united in heart, the Minister added, and they were determined to retain all they held dear. It was lust a~ desirable to-day as it was a month ago, or six months ago, that there should be complete unity, and he hoped it might yet be achieved. The Prime Minister had made it as clear as possible that the' War Cabinet would-take charge of the fighting services, both abroad and at home, as well as the manpower associated with them. “You can’t run an army unless you have the manpower to run it.” Mr Nash added. The Leader of the Opposition (the Hon. A. Hamilton); You can’t run an army unless you feed it, either, “Complete control of activities associated with the fighting services was to be given to the War the Minister continued, “and the Ministers to join that Cabinet would have been the Ministers authorised by Cabinet to approve all policies they had power to control, as well as the finance associated with those. “It is important that if we are to go ahead, we should get the whole of the people behind us.” Mr, Nash added, “and I want to make it clear that there was no suggestion of low positions' being given to members of the Opposition joining the War Cabinet—they were to be given Ministerial positions with portfolio, and were asked to come in so that we might unify the political as well as the. economic side of our national life.”