NON-POLITICAL RULE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 87, 14 April 1942, Page 4

NON-POLITICAL RULE

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —The time has come when there should be a war-time suspension of party politics and the control of this country be vested in a compact, allpowerful, and non-political War Cabinet: such a Cabinet would be freed from the action-delaying dissensions inseparable from any political system (whether it be Labour, National, or Coalition), and, in the paramount interests of national defence, would be in a position to utilise our man-power and resources of all kinds to the best possible advantage. The War Cabinet should be composed of a representative of each of the two main political parties, the heads of the three defence services, and an experienced business man of proved ability and drive: the Prime Minister, as representing the present Government, to exercise- a casting vote when necessary.

The establishment of a non-party War Cabinet of this nature would bring home to those people throughout New Zealand who have adopted a complacent "it can't happen here" attitude the urgent necessity that exists for getting the best defence results in the shortest possible time, and (by eliminating suspicion that the war was being used as an excuse for introducing party legislation of a permanent nature) would do much to bring about that unity of the people. It is during the next few months that New Zealand should make defence preparations calling for the maximum possible effort from each and every member of the community regardless of cost, of public or private loss, or of established rights or arbitration awards. On the measure of our own defence efforts during the next few months the future existence of New Zealand as a free country may largely depend. Still another great advantage that a nonparty War Cabinet would possess is that it would be more able to cope with the evils of excessive drinking.

There can be little doubt but that the early establishment of a non-party War Cabinet is the quickest and best way to get defence results and, in view of the extreme gravity of the war situation in the Pacific, no man should permit his personal political position or interests to stand in the light of his country's urgent defence requirements. —I am, etc.,

H. E. HYDE,