EMPIRE DEFENCE

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 144, 19 June 1936, Page 11

EMPIRE DEFENCE

ADEQUATE MEASURES

X.Z.E.S.A,

ACTION

REMIT REAFFIRMED

Vigorous advocacy of increased measures for defence throughout the Empire as a sure means of maintaining world peace came from delegates to the .New Zealand Relumed Soldiers' Association today when the reaffirmalion of a remit carried a year ago was recommended by a sub-com-mittee. The speakers were unanimously, in favour of increased defence, but there was a difference of opinion as lo whether the British Empire should rely on collective security within its Commonwealth of Nations or on the wider collective security of the League of Nations.

The proposals brought forward by Major-General Sir Andrew Russell, K.C.8., K.C.M.G:, at the last annual conference, when he advocated a commonwealth of nations with pooled resources; a policy of peace implemented by armed forces strong enough to maintain peace in the face of aggression; withdrawal from all foreign entanglements; and a continuance of membership of the League of Nations

as an instrument for discussion with nations outside the pool, were also reaffirmed. THE REMIT. The remit recommended for reaffirmation was as follows:—"That this council sincerely appreciates the efforts of the Governments of the Mother Country and of New Zealand to secure world' peace, and prays for continued labours in this direction. It considers, however, that the unsettled conditions prevailing throughout the world are such that the attention of the Government of New Zealand should be drawn to the inadequacy of the present do-, fensive measures.

"The council, ever mindful of the enoromous sacrifice in human life during the Great War, consequent on unpreparedness, further deems it its duty to urge upon the Government the vital necessity of bringing our sea, land, and air forces to a state commensurate with our responsibilities both to New Zealand and to the Empire.

"Further, and arising out of experience during the Great War, ithe council respectfully suggests that greater attention be paid to the training of leaders, both officers and non-commis-sioned officers, being firmly convinced that from such training, nothing but good will accrue to the country either in peace or war.

"And further, the council considers that, in the event of war, the whole of the country's economic resources should be conscripted as well as its man power, and would bring to the notice of the Government the necessity for the immediate preparation of such a plan."

Mr. H. L. Paterson (Dunedin) moved the reaffirmation of the remit, and said that they all realised how world conditions had changed and how important their previous recommendations were.

Mr. W. E. Leadley (Christchurch) said that the resolution passed a year ago had been given extensive publicity,:both in New Zealand and abroad. The considered opinion of the association was important, and it should be carefully framed before ifo> was broadcast. He' agreed that conditions had changed and that the state of the world today called for preparedness. He presented the following as an addition to the remit:—

"Being seriously alarmed at the unsettled state of world affairs and being convinced of the urgent necessity of making adequate provision for the ■defence of New Zealand, this Dominion council of the New Zealand Returned- Soldiers' Association submits the following proposals for the consideration of the Government, in framing its defence policy:—

1. That in view of the Prime Minister's declaration 'that the first line of defence for New Zealand should be increased population' a scheme of planned immigration from Great Britain should be inaugurated as soon as possible.

2. That New Zealand should support a reconstructed League of Nations all the members of which would mutually covenant to apply full economic and military sanctions against a declared aggressor." MODERN WAR CONDITIONS. Continuing, Mr. Leadley referred to what had happened in Abyssinia, and said that if New Zealand experienced another war it was quite possible that the women and children of New Zealand would suffer as the women and children of Abyssinia had been called •upon to suffer. He agreed with the Prime Minister that New Zealand required more population, but they did not want the haphazard immigration of the past.

Mr. Paterson said he would accept the additions.

Mr.- F. W. Doidge (Rotorua) suggested that they should adopt the first recommendation presented by . Mr, Leadley, but reject the second. He discussed the importance of population to New .Zealand, but said that the second recommendation negatived the original point.

War in Europe was inevitable if the policy of the past year was continued, he said, and Europe had been On the brink of war during the last year. The League of Nations was a grand ideal, but it was as fragile as a cobweb, and as easily blown away. The League had failed in Japan and Bolivia and it had led to the subjection of Abyssinia because if the League had not prevented the Hoare-Laval Pact, Selassie would still be on the throne of Abyssinia. If Britain would stay outside the quarrels of Europe the other nations of Europe would respect her and leave her alone. IE Britain were ever in danger the Dominions would go to her help as readily as they did in 1914. (Hear, hear.)

It was European alliances that led Britain into the last war, Mr. Doidge said, and the trend of opinion in England was towards the views expressed by Sir Alexander Russell a year ago, and they should stand by that and ask for collective security within the Empire. One delegate said New Zealand should increase her population by enabling her own people to have larger families, and another suggested that the Returned Soldiers' Association should join the League of Nations Union.

Mr. H- B. Burdekin (central executive) supported Mr. Doidge, and said that all sanctions had led to was illwill and misunderstanding. He quotedfrom a British publication to show that Great Britain had only six divisions in the regular army while Russia had 102, Germany 25, Yugoslavia, 19. Czechoslovakia 13, Rumania 27. Poland 35, Italy 34, and France 30. That showed that the Dominions should consider doing their share in defence.

" FOMENTING WAR." Mr. G. A. Sherson (Taihape) advocated anti-aircraft defence for New Zealand. He also said that "steps should

be taken to suppress newspaper editors who foment war." (Laughter.) More: wars would mean the collapse of civilisation. He asked that his remarks quoted above should be added to the remit.

The president (the Hon. W. Perry): I cannot accept that. It is extraneous.

! Mr. G. G. Griffiths (Matamata) said they should organise for peace just as a company organised for business. He understood Mr. Doidge to advocate a policy of "splendid isolation."' That policy had led to war in the past, and they were asking for trouble if they adopted it again. They should not mix their desire for peace with the question of defence.

Support for collective security was expressed by Mi*. S. N. Ziman (Cambridge), who said that the idea of splendid isolation and the law of the jungle had caused the League of Nations to fail. The people were not prepared to take risks for peace, and until they were they could not avoid war.

Mr, Perry said the matter was the most important before the conference. "I fear very much indeed for the immediate future of the British Commonwealth of Nations," he said. The Empire had lost much of what it had had at the end of the last war. Britain then was the greatest factor for peace in the World. She had the means of imposing peace by the Pax Britannica, but that opportunity had been thrown away. Germany and Italy had been rejuvenated, and those two nations and Japan, all believing in the force of arms, were fully armed. As a result, Britain had had to cat humble pie.

New Zealand would have to be provided with an adequate defence force, and, more than that. New Zealand must be able to go to the help of Great Britain because if Britain collapsed New Zealand would go also. During the last war Britain was within three weeks of starvation, and if she were starved into submission New Zealand would be at the mercy of some other Power, and all the defence measures they could take would not save them.

When the Prime Minister had said that the first line of defence was population, said Mr. Perry, he had spoken a great truth; but he had not gone far enough, because an unarmed population was helpless in the face of attack. China had population, but was helpless against invasion.

1 LEAGUE IMPOTENT. They had to admit that the League of Nations had not done what they had expected, Mr. Perry continued. When the crisis came the League found itself impotent because it did not have the strength to impose its will. Suppose the Abyssinian crisis had arisen in 1913 when Britain had a two-power Navy and unlimited resources, what would have happened? he asked. All that would have been heard of it would have been that the British Foreign Office would have said to Italy, "Keep your hands off Abyssinia," and the incident would have closed.

He could not support a policy of splendid isolation, Mr. Perry said. If Britain had not had European allies in 1914 Germany would have defeated France and Russia, and would then have attacked Great Britain. There was nothing to show that Britain was going to abandon collective security, and they should continue to work for and support that policy. They should work for peace, and Britain had done that to the extent of taking undue risks. It was because of the efforts made for peace that the Empire was in its present difficult and dangerous position.

Replying to the debate on his additions to the remit, Mr. Leadley said the president had covered almost every point and consequently the only reply he wanted to make was that he could not withdraw 1 the Second clause in his proposals, particularly as New Zealand would probably secure a seat on the League of Nations. ,Mr. Paterson then moved that the clauses presented by Mr. Leadley should be added to the remit and that it be adopted as a whole. This was agreed to unanimously.