WAR COUNCIL

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 125, 29 May 1941, Page 7

WAR COUNCIL

N.Z.R.S.A. NOMINEE

PREPARED TO REMAIN MEMBER

WORK WORTH WHILE

Work being done by the War Council was well worth while, the Dominion president of the Returned Soldiers' Association (the Hon. W. Perry, M.L.C.) told the N.Z.R.S.A. conference last night, and he was quite prepared to remain on the council as the association's nominee if delegates wished him to do so.

During the previous conference, said Mr. Perry, news was received that the British forces were evacuating Norway, and he recalled the gasp of amazement it caused. Following that there was Dunkirk, and it was after Dunkirk that the Government decided to set up a war council to advise it on all problems arising out of the conduct of the war. When the executive of the association, asked by the Government to nominate a member of the council, decided to nominate him, he told them it would be a big task and would take up a lot of time, but lie was now pleased he accepted the nomination. A WISE DECISION. The Government had decided to nominate another returned soldier, and made one of the most wise decisions that it had made since the beginning of the war in nominating MajorGeneral Sir Andrew Russell. The council consisted of fifteen men till Sir Andrew Russell became InspectorGeneral of the Forces, in which position he was doing a fine job. On that council were men of all shades of political opinion. When it was set up it was said that such a large body would become a debating society and take too long to reach decisions, but results had not fulfilled that criticism. It was understood, when Sir Andrew Russell and he accepted their appointments, that if they thought the council was not functioning as it should they should retire. He had not retired, because he '• considered the council was doing an excellent job and that it was neces- j sary to the war effort of New Zealand. The council decided, in view of its numbers, to divide itself into two committees, the Defence and Military Affairs Committee and the Primary and Secondary Industries Committee. He was a member of the Defence and Military Affairs Committee. On the council one would find men of most divergent political views discussing subjects and agreeing on principles. There had been no division of jpinion along party lines, and that'seemed to become more the case as time went on. COUNCIL'S FIRST DECISION. The very first decision the council 1 made was to recommend conscription. Many of the subjects coming before the council and its committees were intimately secret, and the Ministers had taken the council completely into their confidence. Realising that, the council had put its back into its work. The subjects that the council had considered included the training programme of the Army, clothing .and equipment, ammunition supply, fuel oil supplies and reserves for the forces, hospital treatment of injured soldiers, the establishment of convalescent depots, training for home defence, the Home Guard, air training. Class II of the National Reserve, coast watching, and the naval and air programme. It was after the War Council was set up that it was decided to put the Territorials on a war establishment and to establish mounted rifles regiments throughout New Zealand.' All kinds of things appertaining to the war effort had been discussed by the committees, and in the vast majority of cases the recommendations had been adopted. His opinion, after twelve months' work on the council, was that its establishment had been a step in the right direction.