Manawatu Evening Standard. TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 1939. ARE WE PREPARED?

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 117, 18 April 1939, Page 6

Manawatu Evening Standard. TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 1939. ARE WE PREPARED?

The greatest question of the day, to tiie regret of tlie majority of thinking people in this country, was given but scant consideration at the annual conference of the Labour Party. (Jpposition to universal or com pulsory military service was again affirmed by the delegates, who referred to the Government “for favourable consideration the question of co-operation with the industrial Labour movement in building up a democratic defence force.” What that means may be best left to the imagination. As a matter that is beyond the realm of party politics the people deserve something better than this from a conference that wields influence with the Government. Nothing of a constructive nature •was placed before the committee in remits, but it is at least satisfactory to note that three of its members, including the Speaker of the House of Representatives (Hon. W. E. Barnard), in a minority report expressed the view that recruiting to-day is not satisfactory, and stressed the need for every fit man to offer himself for voluntary training for the country’s defence. Many would have preferred that report to have been more emphatic of the need for territorials joining this force by taking up the cause of compulsory service, but no member of the Government is yet prepared to go as far as this. Mr Barnard has given the subject of defence a great deal of thought and has urged the formation of a citizen army of 20,0U0 instead of the present Territorial Eorce of 90U0, which is still below strength and of whom perhaps not more than one-fourth, in Mr Barnard’s opinion, may be regarded as efficient. Much has been done by the present Government in the matter of air-defence, but it cannot be said that the most is being done even in this branch. Similarly, more money is being spent oit the naval service, but the land forces remain at low strength, inefficient, and lacking the vitalising energy that made the Territorial Army the magnificent defence body it was in 1914. Hon. W. Perry’s recent address in Palmerston North brought home to many people the grave gap in our defence. There is not the slightest doubt that were, this country menaced .its youth and manhood would will-

ingly play their part, but it is not recruits that would be required then, but trained soldiers. There would be no time in such an emergency to train men to their duties and to pit them against a professional landing force would only mean sending them to their death. This fact is surely recognised by Messrs Barnard, Lyon, and Lee in their minority report, for they want to see more men offering for the Territorial Army, so that they can be efficiently trained for any emergency that may arise. But until the Government has the courage to face this question in a worthy manner the Territorial Army will remain in its present state and the country’s manhood apathetic towards the fulfilment of a civic duty.