DOMINION TOPICS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 157, 29 March 1941, Page 15

DOMINION TOPICS

National Service. The whole of Great Britain is in the front line of battle; men, women and children, the aged and the infirm, are all taking their part with the fighting services; the whole country is one team; all are united under their chosen leader in their determination to prevail. On occasions already the war has approached perilously close to New Zealand’s shores, but with nothing like the same intensity as its visitation on the Mother Country. In consequence there has hardly been the same insistence in the call for national service. But the Governor-General has put the whole question on a new and loftier plane. He has held up to us in compelling fashion the noble example of Britain and of the British people. New Zealanders can best respond by exerting every effort to ensure that they do not fail “those who are carrying the burden of our fight.”—“New Zealand Herald.”

Political Unity. It must be emphasized that the time Is extremely late for devising and making new political machinery, and the public is not convinced that the Government, with all its war-time powers, should require so many extra-Parliff-mentary organizations to help it in its task. The need is rather for some change In the personnel of the Government, so that it will be at once more able and more representative. If Mr. Fraser feels the need of the help of men of wide experience and executive capacity who are not in Parliament, there are ways of co-opting their services. He could have them appointed to a Legislative Council, and then appoint them to his Cabinet. But another council, board or committee will not set patriotic enthusiasm aflame in any part 'of the Dominion.—Auckland “Star.”

Defence System. Compulsory military training had been in force for three years prior to August, 1914, so that the First New Zealand Expeditionary Force began with a solid backing of partially trained men. Actually one in three of the expeditionary force was provided by the territorials, or some 39,400 in all. No such flying start was possible in the present war. Compulsory military training had been suspended for eight years and an attempt was being made to raise the territorial establishment from 9000 to 16,000 men by voluntary enlistment. These figures should be compared with the 26,000 territorials training in 1914, when New., Zealand’s population.was only two-thirds that of 1939. In 1914-18, out of an eligible population of under 250,000, a total of 124,211 were called to serve with the N.Z.E.F. Of these 91,941 —three out of four—were volunteers and 32,270 were called by ballot. Tha t record may be looked back on with pride, but the young men of today have also played a commendable part which is sometimes overlooked, for in less , than 11 months more than 60,000 volunteered for service overseas. The chief difference between then and now is that today’s expeditionary force cannot draw on the large partially trained cadets provided in 1914 by the compulsory training scheme. The lesson Is that never again in peacetime should the defence system be allowed to fall into virtual desuetude.—“Ashburton Guardian.” Rising Birthrate.

Reasons for the improvement in fhe birthrate are probably various. Better economic conditions in the past few years have no. doubt had their effect, and another reason for . the sudden acceleration may be fouhd in conditions produced by the war. Large numbers of soldiers whose marriages might otherwise have been delayed, married before leaving the country. Although it is necessary to go back 15 years to find an equal birthrate per capita, it must still be remembered that even then the rate had declined sadly and was far from sufficient to maintain and advance the race under ideal conditions. New Zealand should not be satisfied with a figure almost equal to that of 15 years ago. It will be a matter for gratification, if the figures climb steadily to the level attained in those golden years when the Empire was growing toward its full stature. New Zealand eould easily support many millions more people and 'be the better for it. The tide of immigration has ceased to flow and may not be resumed for many years, but New Zealand cannot afford to stand still.—"Waikato Times.”

Home Guard. The training school at Osterley Park, established voluntarily by Major Tom Wlntringham and Mr. Edward Hulton, proved so useful in the dissemination of tricks and methods learned in the Spanish Civil War that it has now been taken over by the War Office. In a few short months a citizen army has grown to' formidable proportions, .and to a high pitch of training mainly under the impetus of its own spirit. Its evolution has been described, without exaggeration, as “one of the most remarkable episodes in the long history of the British Army.” The example cannot be followed exactly in New Zealand, for the conditions here are different. But the main lesson is sufficiently plain. A Home Guard which takes itself seriously will soon he taken seriously by the country. It contains resources in enterprise .and experience which should be able to outstrip the shape of future developments. ‘The first essential is keenness. Men who can meet for training only once a week should realize that the single day is too precious to be lost. —“Southland Times.”

Domestic Politics in Wartime. It is deplorable that domestic political controversies have not been dropped for the duration of the war. No one would suffer if the party argument were suspended, and it would be an immense advantage to have a .truly national Ministry directing and inspiring the Dominion’s war efforts. However, the Labour Party evidently does not believe in compromise, and is determined to proceed with its domestic programme, war or no war, and so the party dispute must continue. In ■these circumstances the policy of the Opposition is rather plainly indicated. It is to concentrate attention on those phases of the Labour policy and administration that involve waste and extravagance, and thus limit the ability of the people to meet the tremendous cost of the war. Some of these subjects are very obvious. When Mr. Sullivan said his farewell to the Railways Department the other day, he spoke of its twenty-six thousand employees. The public have short memories. Five years ago the department was carrying as many passengers as it does today, and. almost the game quantity of goods, and it managed to give a satisfactory service with sixteen thousand” employees. The inference is that the department is;.carrying about ten thousand “passengers” among its employees, and paying them with taxpayers’ money. This is a typical example of the abuses that the Opposition will have to expose, and condemn. —“Christchurch Star-Sun.” The War Effort. When overseas markets are lost and when accepted industrial processes have to be interfered with more or less arbitrarily in order that there may be concentration in selected directions, it cannot be supposed that internal economic disturbance is avoidable. But, through wise planning, skilled control and the unlimited goodwill that are demanded by a state of national emergency it should be possible to improve vastly on our present war effort without greatly affecting the average standard of comfort. It may not be practicable to emerge from this crisis with —to quote Mr. Fraser—our economic and social standards intact. But these \ will be better preserved, for subsequent restoration, if there is now a wholehearted and expertly-guided effort to minimize the impact of crisis.-— “Otago Daily Times.” The Public Works Army. Mr. Holland said that there were now 29,000 men employed on Public Works and relief schemes' throughout the country. The latest Abstract of Statistics puts the number at a little less, but the position may have altered unfavourably in the past month. Then there are between 50,000 and 60,000 men serving in the armed forces at home and abroad. While the number of men employed on Public Works is being slowly reduced, and allowance has. to be made for the fact that a portion of these are doing essential national work,- it can still be seen that there are approximately 70,000 men at least at -present engaged in unproductive labour, . Mr, Holland affirms, and ■his argument is irrefutable, that the prosperity of the Dominion and the standard of living enjoyed by the people depend solely upon .the volume and value of goods produced,. That economic fact stands ; impregnable.—• “Timaru Herald.” .

Faith in the Future., . Certainly, a sweeping .prohibition ox all civilian sporting and - recreational activities or entertainments would not be a corrective of apathy; which comes from lack of understanding of and lack of leadership rather than from distraction of attention. Similarly, the continuation of Taranaki’s preparations to celebrate its centennial on the greatly-restricted Beale planned cannot be seriously criticized as handicapping the war effort; rather is it an expression of the province’s desire to honour its founders and to mark its faith iu its future progress.—“Taranaki Herald.”

The Economic Machine. What is going to happen, to our civil economy? Plainly the civil population will have to do with less. Not only is sacrifice demanded of us on the negative side but it is required also on the positive side. It is not possible to sustain a war effort of the dimensions outlined by Mr. Fraser unless we build it on the foundation of our productive capacity. It is therefore axiomatic that , every part of the economic machine must work 1 at full pressure to supply not only basic civil npgds but to feed out war machine. In such an effort there is no room for forty hour weeks, peacetime conditions of labour and industrial squabbles. We must work for our live irrespective of what the award says. The military side of our war effort has been well launched and the Government deserves every credltfor it. The biggest task in front of it now is do likewise with the economic side. One 'will not function efficiently without the other because we are fighting a total war.—“ Nelson Evening Mail.”

Defenders of Freedom. While the conscientious objector of long standing is entitled to some respect for his moral courage, if not for the soundness of his views, the pact fist whose opposition to service is not religious stands on shaky ground when his case comes to be closely analysed. One such stated the other day that he felt deeply that war was futile and wrong, bringing sorrow and misery. This would be an admirable viewpoint if the truth of it could be successfully brought home to the aggressor nations. At this stage of the conflict, however, it carries no meaning for the defenders of freedom and justice. The democracies must fight on to victory through all the sorrow and misery and, profiting from the mistakes that were made in 1918 and after, see to it that the seeds of peace this time fall on fertile soli.—Dunedin "Star.” Two Explanations. Those who have suffered most from the restriction of imports are only too well aware that the policy was inaugurated long before the war to bolster sterling credits the Labour Gow eminent had permitted to be dissipated so merrily In its first term or office. And while Mr. Nash was emphasizing that import .restrictions must be accepted philosophically as a war measure his colleague the Minister of Supply upheld the policy as having developed the secondary industries of the Dominion. The two explanations leave the uncomfortable impression among those whose livllhood has been > threatened or lost through restriction of imports that they are being sacrificed not so much to aid the war effort as to implement an economic policy with which many people besides thera- , selves entirely disagree.—“Taranaki Dally Newft”