THE SOLDIER AS A CIVILIAN

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27377, 16 June 1954, Page 3

THE SOLDIER AS A CIVILIAN

Chief Justice’s View

VALUE IN COMMUNITY LIFE PRAISED (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 15. The Administrator and Chief Justice (Sir Harold Barrowclough) said today that it was desirable that soldiers on their return should become leaders in civilian life. He expressed this opinion when he opened the Dominion conference of the New Zealand Returned Services’ Association today. “I notice in your report a reference to the fact that I am the first returned serviceman to be appointed Chief Justice of this Dominion,” he said. “I want to say at once that it is a purely fortuitous circumstance. It was inevitable that a returned soldier should become Chief Justice, just as inevitable as it is desirable.”

Sir Harold Barrowclough said that in the field of politics returned servicemen had taken the lead, and Mr Holland was neither the first nor the last returned serviceman who would be Prime Minister.

“It is perfectly understandable and essential,” he said, “that the soldier should take control of the civilian affairs of his dountry when released from the duties of war. That is not surprising, for I am persuaded that of all the qualities and factors that make for success in war, at least 80 per cent, make for success in civilian life. It is because of that that the good soldier becomes a good citizen and a leader in the community.” Sir Harold Barrowclough said that the essential concept was that of citi-zen-soldier or soldier-citizen. “It is the citizen-soldier who is the guardian of peace and freedom in this troubled world of today. No-one more than the Returned Services’ Association has appreciated that fact” He added that he earnestly hoped that the Returned Services Association would not cease to. have its dual interest in the status of the soldier trainee and in the broken soldiers nf past wars. The work of the association was of the “gravest importance.” demanding of delegates all their skill, wisdom, patience, and reasonableness, he said.