New Zealand Accused Of Apathy To The Army

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31235, 6 December 1966, Page 1

New Zealand Accused Of Apathy To The Army

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, December 5. New Zealand society, after many years of dulling Social Security, had created a national indifference and a unique mediocrity, Lieutenant-Colonel R. Grierson, commanding officer of the Territorial Army’s 16th Field Regiment, told the Auckland Rotary Club today.

“Collectively we are politically indifferent, appear to lack any national purpose, and are not prepared to make any changes, social, economic or political, on the grounds that ‘she’ll be right’,” he said.

Against such a background no pride was taken in the armed forces.

Soldiers in uniform were often confronted with open hostility almost always with apathy and indifference and were generally considered of no great political or military significance, but merely a burden on the taxpayer. “It is true and sad that the only manner in which we do speak nationally and take some pride is in support of an AU Black football team.” Colonel Grierson attacked the view that “local louts” should be foisted on the Army. “There is no more reason for the Army to accept delinquent youths to teach them discipline than that they should join the Police Force to learn it,” he said. The armed forces today

needed regular soldiers, sailors and airmen with education, management ability and technical skills comparable with commerce and industry. “They should receive sufficient financial reward and perhaps more emphasis on advancement by ability as opposed to seniority. “In particular, the career soldier must know for certain that his position as part of a military extension of government is supported and respected by citizens at large.” In the event of minor hostilities or full-scale war, New Zealand’s Army would be composed largely of territorials. Apart from the infantry battalion and S.A.S. detach-

|ment now in Malaysia and the battery in Vietnam, all other elements of a combat brigade and its supporting forces would comprise about 80 per cent of territorials who were today’s civilians. About one youth in six turning 20 would subsequently be called for national service training, Colonel Grierson said. There was no satisfactory method of selection other than the present ballot system. “Irresponsible statements are made-from time to time stating that the system of conscription—any conscription—should be abandoned and a purely volunteer force raised,” he said. “This was tried at the end of the previous compulsory military training. Within 12 months, the strength of the battery in which I served declined from 240 to 35 all ranks. “Six months later, the usual parade number was 14 of whom eight were officers.”

Colonel Grierson said it was a matter of considerable concern that only a small number of national servicemen chose to remain as volunteers after their threeyear period on the reserve. “I regret to say that many potential volunteers are unable to continue serving because of employer resistance,” he said. “In theory, the law protects the employment of a volunteer soldier, but in practice it can be prejudiced quite easily by tagging promotion with a request to cease serving. This frequently occurs.”