REFERENDUM CAMPAIGN

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25859, 19 July 1949, Page 8

REFERENDUM CAMPAIGN

Sir, —Those who staged the demonstration against the men and women decrying conscription in Nelson are evidently tentatively following in the footsteps of that vile terrorist gang, the Ku Klux Klan. Their methods are similar, their idea the same—the forcible and cowardly repression of men and women bold enough to speak out against what seems io them unfair, in this case, regimentation of New Zealand’s adolescents at the hands of old men. Your Press Association report does not say who the speakers were, but I surmise they are the body of brave conscientious objectors, most of whom have already served years in prison for their beliefs, Christian pacifists and others. Nobody else would have the guts to speak in an ancient backwater, as Nelson evidently is. It sounds more like Alabama, or the Mississippi valley than fair New Zealand.—Yours, etc., H. W. LORD. July 18, 1949.

Sir r —l notice that in the training scheme, and after the soldier has completed his 14 weeks, he will be posted to a territorial force unit and do 14 days’ training each year and six days’ training out of camp. This six days’ training will be chiefly week-end exercises, "which will mean Saturday and Sunday. Now I strongly protest against this training on the Lord's Day, as there is no call for it, particularly in peace time. Surely all Christian churches will raise their voices against such practices, for its none other than a desperation of the day. An appeal should be made to the Minister of Defence to cut out Sunday exercises; otherwise many Christian votes will be cast against compulsory service.—Yours, etc.. OBSERVER. July 18, 1949.

Sir, —I agree with “Bluejacket” and “Conscript” to conscript the lot and leave no loopholes in appeals for dodgers, but the age 18 to 40 years will not get the lot. What about the lads over 40 years of age? Why always pick on the youths and young men who have not had their time to do the dirty work? Why not rope in some of the old lads in the higher positions? They have had their day and are or soon will be a drain on the State. Or if “Bluejacket” and “Conscript” wish them to go back on the bottle, why not treat them as infants with no vote instead of allowing them to use their votes and force others to do a job they themselves are not able to do? If this were made universal wars would soon be a thing of the past.—Yours, etc., 60 YEARS A WORKER. July 18, 1949.

Sir,—ln the statement by the Chief of the General Staff (Major-General Stewart) reported in “The Press” on July 16, one can easily foresee that the New Zealand youths are being trained with the intention of sending them tn an .overseas theatre of war—Hong ; Kong or some other such place—if war should break out in these places. I would like to hear from the Prime Minister or Cabinet Ministers whether in the event of war the Maori youths, will be sent overseas to the theatre of war under the compulsory clause, the same as the European youths; or will there be a side-door for the * Maoris to slip out by. and a voluntary battalion of Maoris sent? —Yours, etc., LAW FOR ALL. July 18, 1949.

Sir.—Many mistakes in life are due to failure to call things by their right names. There are degrees in the horizon of both vision and purpose, also apprehension of things looked at, and comprehension of things looked through. In the latter sense they are regarded not as objective but as a means in which there is a relation but no resemblance. By going back far enough politically and looking ahead far enough socially it is difficult, to see how the destructive use of atomic energy can be controlled with the finesse displayed at Briey Basin (191418) to produce an indecisive state of destruction economically essential to firesent interests. If there is no absoute or partial defence against atomic warfare why should General Public Opinion and Cardinal Fact sanction an expensive import licence to that totalitarianism just quelled. The capitulation of principle to political expediency destroys confidence.—Yours, etc, SOCIAL IMPLICATION. July 17, 1949.