IF WAR CAME

Evening Star, Issue 22975, 4 June 1938, Page 25

IF WAR CAME

CONSCRIPTION Of WEALTH WITH MEN PREMIER EXPLAINS FORMER SPEECH [Pee United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, June 3. In further reference to-day to the remarks he made concerning conscription when replying to the Defence League deputation yesterday, the Prime Minister (Mr Savage) said that the obvious inference from what he said was that, when conscription was started, it would hot begin or end with flesh and blood. It was a fair thing that, when men fought to defend their country, the wealth of that country should be levied upon to keep them and.their families from starvation and distress. During the last war. a debt of, roughly, £80,000,000 had been accumulated, and, while men were dying, others were being enriched. He had said quite definitely yesterday that that was not going to happen again while the present Government was in power. Fighting men would have whatever was necessary to keep them and their wives and families while they, were doing the nation’s job, and they would not be called upon to pay a debt that had accumulated in their absence. Referring to the use of force to prevent war, Mr Savage said the League of Nations had been organised for the very purpose of allowing the nations to discuss around the table the road to peace and be in a position always to use force if necessary to prevent the aggression. He had voiced his regret to the deputation that some of the nations responsible for that in the first place seemed now to be more concerned about getting into groups 1 which would ultimately have the effect of starting other wars. The League of Nations was not getting the assistance it deserved. Under the Covenant, if nations were in earnest, they could get together and use sufficient force to prevent another nation from being an aggressor, and there was no _ other way to peace. He would admit that there were outstanding grievances, but he still thought that the nations should meet around the table and discuss those grievances. They should also discuss the causes of war. The reply was that such efforts would fail but, if nothing was ever undertaken because of fear of failure, they would never get anywhere. If the nations met in the way he had suggested there would be less fear of war.