WORKERS & DEFENCE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 104, 29 October 1909, Page 7

WORKERS & DEFENCE.

COMPULSORY MILITARY TRAIN. ING. DISCUSSED AT LABdUR CONFERENCE. , y_ Defence, and the question of compulsory military training, came before the Trades! and Labour Conference today. Mr. W. T. Young (Wellington) moved : That the conference affirms the principle of a "Citizens' Voluntary Defence Force," and the establishment of an Australasian Navy, as proposed by , the Federal Labour Party. Mr. Reyling (Wellington) seconded the motion. Mr. Naughton (Wellington) said thati personally he was in favour of compulsory military training. It was tb.3 duty of every man to defend his country. That was the view taken in Australia and in England. At the Labour Congress in England a resolution in favour of compulsory military training was adopted unanimously. Compulsory military training was the best way to prevent conscription. On that score the fears of the workers in New Zealand were groundless. He added that there was no danger whatever to the workers in compulsory military training. However much work the volunteers might be doing, by their numbers they were only a drop in the bucket. He had no heart in the motion, bufc would support it under instructions from, his council. AN AMENDMENT. Mr. J. H. Hall (East Coast) moved an amendment in favour of compulsory military training. The betterment of physical training was to improve tho mental faculties. Mr. Hart (Canterbury), hi seconding the amendment, asked what good ths reforms in labour were going- to be, if another nation were going to step in and wipe them out of existence. They should all show a bold front. What they wanted was, not dummies, but men who were practically fighting machines. The whole world was looking towards England to find her weak spots. It was an ambitious time, and they should be prepared for it. Mr. Howard (Canterbury) made a stirring speech in favour of the motion, and against compulsion. He had noticed that the chief division amongst the workers was on the question of defence. If the amendment were carried the Government was not in the position to, introduce compulsory training at tho present moment, "i believe in a Citizens' Army," cried Mr. Howard. "The movers of the amendment will not be •called upon to serve under a system of compulsory training. The past history of New Zealand has shown that the mail who can go across the islands earning his living can defend his home, if you put a gun in his hand." (Ciies of dissent.) TEACH A MAN TO SHOOT. Mr. Hart said that, at any rate, the man in question had been able to go to Africa and take away the other man's home. What they wanted to do was to teach the man to shoot. Why not give him more facilities for shooting? "Do you want to learn the goosestep?" asked the speaker. "Do you want to go and spend your time just learning how to stick your chest out? I< you want to uplift the physical stand> ard of the nation you must go to th« schools. You must try to cure the round shoulders the kiddies get by sitting at desks all day." SOME WARNING NOTES. Other speakers dwelt on the danger of Asiatic invasion, and attributed the opposition to compulsory military training to the Socialist tendencies of delegates. The average Briton had lived so long under peace conditions that he failed to realise the possibilities of war. The volunteer force was decreasing, and the danger was increasing. If people were trained to fight, said another delegate, they would want to fight. Personally, he did not want to be compelled to fight for his country. He couki shoot with a revolver, but he would not like to spend his holidays in military training. Another view was that the raost socialistic nation in, the world— Germany — was also the most advanced in military matters. "Is there any gentleman at this table wants the militarism of Germany?" asked another delegate. There was a chorus of universal negatives. How many employers' eons were volunteers? ho asked. They were the officers, he was told. The onus of defence at the present time rested solely on the shoulders of the workers of New Zealand- Cony

pulsory military training was practically tne same as conscription, was the view of another speaker. The important part was really the navy, and it was to be regretted that New Zealand had not gone in with Australia for an Australasian navy. At this stage the conference adjourned oritil 2 p.m. AN OPPONENT. At the resumption of the debate this afternoon, Mr. D. M'Laren, M.P., made a very strong attack on the system of compulsory military training, the ulti-' mate object of which, he maintained, was conscription. The real purpose of the agitation for compulsory military training was aggression, not defence. The command would not be in the hands of the masses. That waa the crux of the question. (.Hear, hear.) The men in. this conntry'who were to be trained as officers were the youths in the colleges, the representatives of the capitalistic classes. The leaders in Britain had for centuries maintained the position that the civilian should be above the soldier — and that was the policy they should maintain in New Zealand.— not an army controlled by officers to be used as they liked. In the interests of Labour and tha masses of the people they should slay thfir hand before affirming a principle to their detriment. Mr. T. Long (Auckland) did not believe that compulsory military training would t lead to conscription. Compulsory military training avoided conscription altogether. It was for defence purposes only. It would be in the best interests of the citizens of the Dominion. Mr. Jackron expresred himself a supporter of an Australasian Navy. He made al&o a point of the fact that universal training would take the young man away from the streets. Mr. Noot attributed the break-down of the' volunteer system to the absence of sufficient inducement and to the appointment of officers not from the ranks, but from the elapses of the rich. The amendment in favour of compulsory military training was lost by 14 votes to 11. "Another amendment in /favour of compulsory training was ruled out of order. The motion was carried by 15 votes to 10. <