DELAY IN STARTING UNIVERSAL MILITARY SERVICE CRITICISED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22761, 6 October 1948, Page 3

DELAY IN STARTING UNIVERSAL MILITARY SERVICE CRITICISED

PARLIAMENT IN SESSION

(P.R.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 6. The urgent need of an early statement on the Government s intention regarding universal military training was emphasised in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon by Mr. T. L. MacDonald (Opp., Wallace).

“We are living in extremely critical times,” he said. “The international ammunition dump might be blown up at any moment.”

Little Real Progress The Minister had made a statement regarding the defence forces of New Zealand last April. That was criticised at the time as being nebulous, but time had gone on and little real progress if any, had bsen made with the establishment of a system of territorial training. „ Members of the public were finding those delays irksome, and to give expression to that he would move that the vote of the Army Department be reduced by £5 as an indication that the House disapproved of the delays in introducing universal military training, especially in view of 1. The deterioration in general of the world situation, and 2. The expressed determination to oppose any form of universal service coming from Communists and others, who in order to serve a foreign Power better would prefer to see New Zealand defenceless. Mr MacDonald’s amendments were ruled out of order because the acting Chairman of Committees, Mr. R. M. MacFarlane, ruled that the question was of policy, hut it was allowed to proceed as merely a motion for a reduction of the vote.

Attempt To Stampede Public Mr. A. C. Baxter (Govt., Raglan) suggested that the amendment was an attempt to stampede the public into some form of war panic and into the idea that war was imminent. . The obvious thing to do was to wait and see what the Prime Minister, Mr. P. Fraser, had to say when he came back. Personally, he said, he considered that the Army should be highly mobile and he asked the Minister what steps had been taken relating to the training of paratroops and other methods of moving Army units quickly from place to place. “Are we to wait and see how long it takes to persuade the waterside workers and to see how strong the Communist influence is at the next elections?” asked Mr. K. J. Holyoake (Oppos., Pahiatua). A division was called for on Mr. MacDonald’s amendment which was defeated by 34 votes to 30. The amount of £2OOO provided in the Estimates for the- territorial forces was just ludicri.us, said Mr. W- H. Fortune (Oppos., Eden): “I would like to be assured that Russia is just bluffing,” he added. “Personally, I don’t believe it, nor do I believe that the Empire leaders think so. We live in serious days and we must spend many times £2OOO to even scratch the service. Time is running out and we must be ready,” Mr. A. S. Sutherland (Oppos., Hauraki), said a lot of members of the Government were apathetic as far as military training was concerned, and even more so regarding compulsory military training. Insufficient Volunteers

In reply, the Minister of Defence, Mr. F. Jones, said he doubted if the number obtained by voluntary means would supply the number required to establish the territorial forces. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. S. G. Holland: Why not use other means?

Mr. Jones said the Prime Minister the other evening had said that he would discuss with the United Kingdom the part that the people of New Zealand should play. That part would probably mean recruiting either by voluntary means or under national service to build up the territorial service. That would not fully be known until the Prime Minister returned. In the meantime, a few people could pass their resolutions but it was best to leave the matter until the Prime Minister returned and conferred with the chiefs of staff. Mr. Holland: And then have a referendum?

The acting-Prime Minister, Mr. W. Nash, said the Prime Minister had positive views and he (Mr- Nash) personally believed that there ought to be universal, national service. To say that the Government was opposed to any form of universal service would be wrong.