NATIONAL DEFENCE.

Marlborough Express, Volume LIIII, Issue 83, 9 April 1920, Page 3

NATIONAL DEFENCE.

POLICY OF NEW LEAGUE

STATED BY GENERAL RUSSELL

WELLINGTON, April 9.

The following policy statement was issued to-day by Major-General Sir A. H Russelh President of the recentlyformed National Defence League ot New Zealand: — FALSE PROPHETS ABROAD. "In explaining the policy of the re-cently-formed National Defence Leag\ie of New Zealand, I desire to emphasise several important tar-tors for the consideration of the people ot this country. The world to-day is tired of war and its abominations, tiled of everything it brought in its train, and all that- it meant and nov unnaturally a feeling ot has crept over people, and made them, inclined to put' tho whole subject out of their mnids, and relax .into an attitude, not exactly of mdiffereticw, but of dislike for the whole thing. IVonle, in consequence, have been askino- whether there is any need again to take up national defence It was "n order to emphasise that rieed that the National Defence League was formed. Plenty of people have been taking, as a motto the dictum-of tho. P™*o6? l.. o* $* United States, I think--that the.late war was 'a war to end war.' -There has been no greater fallacy. *Jot only do such people say 'turn your swords into ploughshares''; they urge us to turn our>acks on the whole ! question of national defence, lheie are plenty' of these false jwophflts abroad to-day. War cannot be driven out by war, any more than an ••&c----ivnt police force can do' away itii crime. The abolition of war demands , the removal of causes, r ' whicn , lie i deeply imbedded in human nature. ( When the individual" and the nation, have been educated to a full reahsa-i tion of their duties and rosponsibih- > ties, there will be no need for police,, or defence leagues, or compulsory [ military service; but that day is not \ vet. Inhere is, therefore, need for a; league of this kind to wake people urAo the importance of being i repared to defend their ideals and their property, as well as to be a Die todo their duty, not only to this country, but to the Empire. "IN NO SENSE POLITICAL."

"The National Defence League has nothing to do with party pc "^ whatever. We are a league formed, so far as defence is concerned, to help whatever Government happens to be in power to do its duty, because Governments, like the rest of 'is, can only go as far as circumstances ana rmbuc opinion will allow them. It m the mission of the league to educate the electorate on the need tor an efficient defence organisation, a«U when it has done that citizens may bo sure that the Government will <to its duty. What is the position now,? I understand that no less than ten members of the House of Itepresenta- , tives are pledged to go back to the voluntary system. Many of the members of the league have worked under that system, and know that it was absolutely impossible, ike people of New Zealand can no more expect to have an efficient defence force under the voluntary system than to have good roads if they are to be left to pay their rates or not, as they like. Under the voluntary system those in charge cannot know what they have got. The responsibility tor whatever system.of, defence we possess rests with the electors; it rests with everyone, and what the league; proposes: to do is to educate the coim-, try by means of propagandas—to stir ; up its friends and to convert its op-: ponents. To those of the latter who, are socialisticaily minded, I .wouidj wibmit that, universal obligation in;, the matter of defence is the one con-j-, crete example of Socialism which has; stood the test of experience and ptrac--^ tice. J

FRIGE OF INEFFICIENCY

"There is one factor which the, people of this country require to; specially bear in mind in relation to:; defence, and that is. that any money? allocated for defence purposes to-day \ is worth far less than it would have: been in 1913, and if tho . Defence Forces are starved it will mean that: they will bo ill-trained and ill-equip-^ ped. That means inefficiency, and in-| efficiency in war means the unnecessary loss of life. How much this isso the people of New Zealand may realise from a recently published summary of the views of American genorals. In The • World's Work, for November, 1919, it is stated: 'Twenty-six out of thirty general (officers* holding command in the \ American Expeditionap Force, who | were asked what proportion of our ■ Jbattle losses was duo to lack of tram-, ! rag, replied: 'At least half.' This only ! confirms the statement made by the American Secretary of State for War .previously, when he said that 'to tfanist untrained citizens into the (5*331 is nothing short of death by flcwernment order.' What the league iv-Mtts is sound defence, run as economically a3 possible, on the least money that can be put down; but Jt does iiot want to 'spoil the ship for a ha'p'iwth of tar. 1 The actual plan of defence, however, does not come within the province of the league. That necessarily is a matter for the experts. First, the Government should have a policy, anfl the defence scheme should be framed to suit that policy. It would be idle for the league, composed of civilians, to say what are the proper proposals in detail ; but there arc certain broad principles which it will uphold. If any radical changes are proposed it is the duty of the leaguo to scrutinise such proposals carefully, and act .accord- ! mg to its conclusions.

POLICY 0F THE LEAGUE

DEFINED

'; "I now wish to direct attention to the specific aims and objects of the league, as set out in its constitution. These are broadly defined as follows: "To maintain n White New Zealand; to secure th.3 in-.m unity of the country from invasion ; to educate the people of the country upon such measures ot defence as may be considered necessary. In the attainment of i,lickc objects the league specifically lays it down as its policy that it is wot desiied to convert the manhood of tin's country into soldiers, but purely to ensure that every :nan who is capable of bearing arms is given sufficient military training to enable? him to obey tiio highest duty of citizenship by being' able adequately to assist to protect his country should the occasion arise. In other word?, the platform of the league sets fbrth that the New Zealandev is a citizen, and only becomes a soldier , when he is required for the defence of his country.'' WHERE EAST MEETS WEST.

"As to the policy of the league fto maintain a. White New Zealand,' J would point out that the storm centre of the world a few years ago was in the North Sea. To-day it has shifted. It is moving Eastward. So far as New Zealand is concerned it is

wearer home. We are at the point where East meets West, both of them probably in their highest stage of development, It is true that the East meets the West in the Eastern Mediterranean littoral; but there, there is a- certain fusion. Here there is no fusion. 'A White New Zealand' means no fusion. That to the working man of New Zealand is of greater importance than to almost anyone else; for fusion means a lowering >of the standards of life which have been built up in this country. It means the clashing of the ideals fdf the East with the ideals of the West. Of the two, ours may go under, muless we keep our shores

inviolate. "If we can convert the manhood ot this counry into good citizens we shall have a fighting force that will represent a great deal more in the eyes of a commandev than would appear on paper. Good citizenship lies at the back of the best soldiers.

THE LESSONS OF THE WAR. "The league "proposes jto advocate 'the maintenance of a universal defensive training system.' The league holds that military training should be universal, not only for icasons of defer, cc, for which a quota would pOvSsilly be sufficient; but for other reasons. Again the league urges: 'As far as prxoticablo; the embodiment of the lessons of ( th.c late war in our universal defensive' training system.' The lessons of the war were not merely those connectel witfeth© handling of a platoon, or the use of a machine.gun. There an other things—great moral lessons Which were' learr.ed as a result of the war. Another proposal is: 'The provision of sufficient guns, rifles, a«d equipment so that the New Zeilaad Citizen Army, on mobilisation for the defence of our own shores, will be able to take the field fully equipped, and will have sufficient spares for replacement.' At present I do not know what we ha,ve got, but it is very little.

OPPOSITION

TO MILITARISM

"One of the bogeys raised by op- ! nonent-9 to the introduction of sound defensive training in the past was i hat an attempt, was being made to introduce, militarism. So t'a-r as the members of the league are concerned, j they loathe and despise anything that breathes'of that spirit, and they will have nothing to do -Skiifeni it. vAnvj other objection. has been that com-j pulsory training is contrary to demo- | crac-y, and has a tendency to produce i a. gulf betvveen officers and men. Any. other than a democratic; .defence force : in Zealand is unthinkable, but a ; special clause to ensure tMs is inelnd- : ed in the objects of the league. This j clause reads: 'The' acceptance of the ; principle that in future no xme, ex T (<pt ua the case of the public interest, can become a commissioned; officer of the New Zealand Citizen Defence Forces unless he has served j three years in the ranks.'

MORAL- AND HEALTH ASPECTS

"There are four other proposals in the constitution of the league which call for special consideration. These are:

'The devotion of special attention to the moral training of the youth of this country, and their education in the idexls of good citijien-

ship. 'The strict suppression of all bad language in camps, making its use punishable as in civilian life. The .league insists that this evil must be put down with a strong hand, and demands that the Defence Department shall tak3 practical steps to

secure its eradication

'The taking of every possible precaution to preserve the health of boys while undergoing training in camp or elsewhere, with endeavors to improve tho same under proper medical supervision; also educating trainees upon the observance of health principles during both civilian and military life. 'The employment of selected women to assist in cooking, ambu-

lance work, and in all the institutes in camp where they can be profitably and suitably employed.'

"These clauses are very important en ihe moral and physical deyelop*ment aspects of military training. Any cound system of defence will cost money, and means a. sacrifice to everyone, but in considering this it is only fair to look at the other side of the ledger. There is first and forep.osfc the insurance that we shall bo able to keep the country white, protect it from invasion, and perfoivn our part in tho responsibility which we owe to the Empire, so that the standard of living in this country will not be lowered or altered unless for the better. The second is 'another very valuable asset—-the moral asset. I have already mads a reference to the lessons of the war. It produced, or rather, developed, the spirit of self-sacrifice, the habit of obedience, respect for other people's wishes, and a better understanding of other people's needs. In the war, men wore found learning to help each other, realising that they were part of a whole, and that they themselves did not matter very much, so long as success was attained by the whole doing team-work. That spirit ia

wanted abroad in this country ioday, and one means of promoting it is by getting our young manhood to.'giitlier and working together, each subordinating nimself to a concerted plan. I have no doubt that Germany, beaten as she was, gained immensely in her industrial life by her system of nulitary training, insofar that by it her people learned to work together. k

WOMEN AND "THE SCIENCE OF

POWER."

"This league looks just as much to the women of New Zealand as to the men for support, and has accordingly made special provision for the inclusion of women in the government ot its affairs. Women can see to it that the moral aspect of camp life is attended to. They, only, can bring UP boysi who will withstand temptation. The churches must help and the fathers do their share ;'but it is the women of Ne*v Zealand who have the anain part in the character-mould-ing '.of the future manhood of New Zealand. It is easy to understand that any mother, who heard the stories, some of which, no doubt, were true, of the foul language used in tho camps, would look with diffidence, dislike, and distrust on the idea of her son being mixed up in it. We could not expect such a mother to 'support, the league- unless the league sees to it that that kind of thing is put an end to, and its place taken by the influence of education that will lead to moral elevation as well as physical improvement. As the best guarantee that this will be done the league urges tha employment of specially-selected women in our training camps. "At the same time it is essential that the public s-hould recognise the truth in this matter. The real fact was that the language was taken into the camps; the camps were not responsible for it, but the lack of moral training the lads received before they went there. I believe that is the truth. The league will make its ideal that every mother, when her son comes Jbadk from camp, should say, 'When is the next one going' to be held?' because she was so pleased ■with the results. «,

THE FINAL AIM,

"In conc.lusio'ny I wish to refer to the.'fact that one or two of our schoolrnastei'S: appear to look askance at military training. I am fjlad to be able to say, on.the other hand, that already wo have a number of our prominent educationists 'with us in t-he league, and I expect many more will follow. No better support was obtained from any class of men at the front than from the schoolmasters. All that is aimed at in the cntnpsi is not exactly.to put the cappinag on the work .that is done in the schools, but rather that in the camps tlie best is done to nourish and foster the seedlings of good citizenship which it has been the schoolmaster's jrivilege to plant. There are people who talk about humanity, about one gi'aaid brotherhood, and about doing away with war. I believe in fill those ideals myself, but I think the first thing to do is to. be true to ourselves, then to tlfe Empire; and then only, probably,' will it be possible for us to be true to humanity, that largei' humanity to which we all belong, whatever our creed, our color, or our civilisation."