UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND THE WAR

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23361, 21 June 1941, Page 5

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND THE WAR

Sir, —I was interested to read a ,letter from “Graduate.” No doubt Major Tracy has much more information .than I as an ordinary citizen, but pos-' sifcly the public view that there are • persons at Canterbury College who areriot giving the full weight behind the H war effort is influenced by the fact H Ihat Mr Winston Rhodes, who was 11 , then a lecturer at Canterbury College, H ; wa s the leading speaker at a pacifist 1 "meeting held in the Choral Hall.' I i wattended this public meeting and was H. , fjin the midst of the pacifists. After H considerable difficulty I was permit- § ted to ask two questions, and I was 9 not permitted to move an amendment 9 . to the pacifist resolution, the chairman i saying that I could vote against the 9 resolution. No doubt Mr Winston fi Rhodes is still a lecturer, at Canter--1 bury College, with all the influence 9 that a lecturer possesses. Ido not say 9 nor infer that Mr Rhodes maintains 1 the’ views that he expressed at the | meeting, but no doilbt most students I know of it and the public have not I forgotten the young man’s outburst. Is I theje not, therefore, some justification i for the public suspicion that at least I : there might not be 100 per cent, sup--12 * port for the war from Canterbury Colli lege, If Dr. Denham will tell us that H ' every professor and every lecturer || is behind the people in the war effort, hj including conscription, he will be doing a great public service and prevent .some students from, being misled. Let i { brains of these misguided youths * (and some of them have, great, ability) s!■ devoted to after-War. problems ■ • Esther than to seeking, reasons; or ex"crises for not serving in the war! This j for courage, and I believe this, that “Graduate* will, sigh „ his own name should he reply to this letv.: ter, or for ever hold his peace.—Yours, ■ etC ” F. D. SARGENT. •June'.l7, 1941. .... § “Mr Sargent’s use of: words is slip--9 '' shod and his memory not of the best," I’ v' said Mr H. Winston Rhodes, commentB ' ing on this letter. “The Meeting to B ’ which he refers took place early in B 1940. before conscription was introB duced. It was called by the Anti-Con-scription League, which was not a pacifist organisation and does not now (exist. At the meeting I opposed conscription as a Socialist and an anti- ; Fascist, not as a pacifist. The resolutions carried were resolutions opposing conscription. Ever since I came to New Zealand I have appeared on public platforms attacking Fascism wherever it has raised its head, I did - not wait until the outbreak of the present war in order to discover my 8 hostility to the Nazi regime in Ger--8 '■ many, to the Japanese invasion of 8 3 China, nor to the betrayal of Spaiih 8 At the meeting referred to my re--8 marks were not in the nature of an 8 i ■ Isolated ‘outburst.’ They were the re--8 suit of some study of the structure afid. 8 ’ aims of Fascism in different countries 1 and some knowledge of political de1. ‘ , velopments here and overseas. I am vj still a Socialist and an/ anti-Fascist • and am still opposed to conscription, ■ put conscription is now the law of the land, and ps a Socialist and am anti"Fascist I am 1 willing to abide by the '•i decision of\the Government, even u ’ ' it was not the decision of the whole . people. This does mrt imply that I ” accept Mr Sargent’s. interpretation of u • -.What is 100 per cent, support of the ■,i;’[war. nor that Lam willing to'use my !' intelligence only upon post-war probI'? Terns. I believe that young men, as B ,i* well as old men are betraying the I t) -'. i. people if they do not attempt to I analyse the causes of the war, the | 'conduct of the war, and political de- | j welopments during the war. UnfortuI M riatefy, Fascism is an‘article suited for *> -export ' .The suggestion that young f. v“i'men should concern themselves oilly 4% 'iwlth! problems of the hereafter is a T [ ./suggestion which is out of place in . a which calls itself demo- . cratic. In'conclusion, may I express .Sfi, /my respect for the pacifists who are fighting Fascism in the way their S'I.V [reason dictates. In a democratic com:, 'munity I believe the pacifists alsb gbave rights "Which should be guarded ¥?.' jby all those who are opposed to ** * • * .. I» Commenting .on- the same. letter, the “Ml. >pector of Canterbury'.University Coi■flfe.|lege' (Dr.'H. G, Denham) said: “The ■‘'suggestion .conveyed in Mr Sargent s [-letter—that I should certify as to“the | private opinions of the members of lihe staff, even on matters of such m as indicated-in his letter—is •1 *MttUlte i outside -my jurisdiction, ! m Suggesi just ;as there ■M in&istS'.' in the, "professional /ranks of 3> doctors, a differ- » of opinion on certain aspects of war effort, so must one expect :|| ?»:similar difference Of opinion amongst •31 effipSe, members of- any:; university, staff. v « issue--fe -whether 3^®ipeidiecision ; of the Government,having oftce! - been mad?, would *be openly bflouted -- or obeyed. I , .know o| vhO « member. of the staff who would not the best of his ability the, 1 /obligations thrown upon v him by the .wC'/f d<ciß{c >n. l of’'the. Government,even .oh |®K'‘-y'SWch a matter as conscription; ana ''lgtevithat .after",hll’ -is .the".real .test '.of ~:;v J •