FAULT OF PEOPLE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 19, 22 July 1939, Page 14

FAULT OF PEOPLE

LACK OF INTEREST

DEFENCE OF N.Z.

ALL SHOULD SERVE

!In spite of Ihe series of international crises that had taken place and ihe present unsettled slate of the world, the people of New Zealand had failed to take adequate measures for the defence of the j Dominion; the Hon. W. Perry (Wellington) said, when speaking in the Address-in-Reply debate in the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon. The Government could not be blamed for the lack of response to voluntary recruiting; the people were to blame. Mr. Perry advocated universal service for all sections of the community. The Prime Minister had made a splendid appeal for the defence of the country on May 22. but the people ; had not faced up to their responsibility, he said. Only 12,100 men elig- > ible for the National Military Reserve ■ had enrolled, an average of approximately 1400 a week. There were 193,000 men between the ages of 20 and 35 in New Zealand, but not more : than 14,000, including the Territorial '■ Force, had offered to serve from that : group. That was 9 per cent., and that was after a series of desperate international crises. No one could view the position as anything other than deplorable; just as deplorable as the reports from Britain that shareholders were receiving from 15 to 20 per cent. in dividends from armament shares The Hon. M. Connelly (Otago): How can you expect volunteers after that? i Mr. Perry said that should not affect volunteering. It was the duty of every young man to prepare for- the defence of his country. Mr. Connelly: It is a reason why we should conscript wealth. . Mr. Perry said that he agreed, but he believed that as long as New Zealand retained the volunteer system the danger of inadequate defence would I persist. Those who believed in the volunteer system believed that the man with a sense of duty should train himself to protect the man who had no sense of duty. The Hon. Mark Briggs (Wellington): [ That's not the right interpretation. Mr. Perry said that he was giving a definition of the volunteer system. He was not condemning the men who had volunteered. They were doing an excellent job. There was only one solution of the problem, Mr. Perry said, and that was universal service. He did not be- ! lieve in making the young men projtect the country. i ■ Every man and woman should i train to give service in an emerI gency, and there should be equality of sacrifice in war-time. The profiteering that had gone on during] j the last war was a crime, and dur- I

i ing the depression years, while 8000 returned soldiers were tinemployed, estates had been sworn for probate at over £250,000. Until universal service was introduced it was the duty of everyone to support the volunteer system, Mr. Perry added, and those who were eligible should join the National Military Reserve. The Leader of the Council (the Hon. D. Wilson) said that he would have liked to see a quicker response to the Prime Minister's appeal, but he was satisfied that the objective aimed at would be reached.