Military Training

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28690, 13 September 1958, Page 3

Military Training

Sir,—Responding to “Female Observer,’.’ as one of New Zealand's oldest living veterans, cadets, territorials, Main Body. 1914; I support Mr Nash's censure of the R.S.A. under the Queen’s Regulations. Any officer, n.c.o. or private of substantive rank is denied any right to criticise Government policy, unless he: 1, resigns such rank; 2. is posted to the reserve; 3, is discharged for any valid reason in law. The irony of all this to me is that I waa actually on Gallipoli with the founder of the RS.A_ Claude Batten himaelf.—Yours, etc., R. M. THOMSON. September 10, 1958.

Sir,—l feel I must support ‘Temale Observer.” I am a former infantry corporal, also a committee member, of an R.S.A.

sub-branch, and I have never been given an opportunity to statu my views on copnpulsory military training. If our R.S.A. is honest, let them take a postal ballot of all R.SA. members, because until they do, they are just giving personal opinions, and misleading the public of New Zealand into thinking the whole of the R.S.A. is behind them. I would remind our Dominion council that aome

of our Labour MF.'s are R.S.A. members. We, the people of New Zealand, voted the Labour Party into power last election, knowing their views on compulsory , training. I protest most strongly at this thinly-disguised attempt to bring party politics into our . -organisation. If all ex-service-men supported efforts for peace, as strongly as some of our leading ; members seem to be battling for war preparations, we would be much better thought of.—Yours, etc., MALE OBSERVER. September 10, 1958.