HOME SERVICEMEN SUPPORT NATIONAL SERVICE SCHEME
An indication that the New Zealand Home Servicemen’s Association will support representations to the Government to institute a system of compulsory military training in New Zealand was given at a meeting of the Greymouth branch on Monday night when an address on the subject was given by the Dominion president of the association, Mr F. W. Macdermott. There Was a small attendance of members at the meeting. Mr M'aCderniott stated that the national council of the association would meet next Week-end and would formulate its proposals for admission to the Minister of Defence. The association, he said, felt that the urgency of the situation was such as to warrant a special announcement as soon as possible. He claimed that the world “was likely to blow up again soon” and it was no use New Zealanders closing their eyes to it. Citing cases where obsolete weapons were issued io heme servicemen during the last war, Mr Macdermott said that New Zealand must, be prepared with up-to-date weapons. He aslo claimed that the last war had revealed that the population was not nt fit as it was in 1914'. The nation was getting soft in its way of living and this must be rectified. “The New Zealand Home Servicemen’s Association is pledged to support compulsory national service for all” stated Mr Macdermott who put forward as a suggestion that upon a boy leaving secondary school where he had been compulsorily trained, he
should be drafted into a military camp for six months, to be followed :by annual training. He also suggested that defence rifle clubs should be subsidised by the Government,
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Greymouth Evening Star, 25 February 1948, Page 7
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275HOME SERVICEMEN SUPPORT NATIONAL SERVICE SCHEME Greymouth Evening Star, 25 February 1948, Page 7
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