Empire and N.Z. Defence Discussed In Parliament

Northern Advocate, 27 July 1939, Page 8

Empire and N.Z. Defence Discussed In Parliament

Speaking in the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Represents! tives last evening, the Minister of Industries and Commerce, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, said that it was inevitable, that the matter

in the present state of international affairs, that a goodly portion of the GovernorGeneral's speech should be devoted to matters of defence, , and also should have been freely discussed during the present

debate in the

House. Personally, he thought that the Minister of Defence’s speech during the debate on what the Government had achieved, was an outstanding one, and he had considered that it would have reassured the House and country that the Government was doing everything it could to put the country into an effective state of defence.

Then anti Now. He had been disappointed to hear further criticism on the subject from the Opposition. Ho wondered if instructions which had been given to National Party candidates at the last election, to “Oppose, oppose, oppose.” also applied to members of the Opposition in relation to defence in the House. The searhead of the Opposition s at - tack on the Government, ho said, was that it had failed to introduce compulsory military service. Just after the international crisis in September, Mr Sullivan continued, the National Party had issued its defence programme, and in that profence programme, and in that programme had pledged itself to the voluntary system. Had the National Party secured victory at the polls, it would have ben compelled, by its pledge given in September, to have carried on with the voluntary system. Mr J. Hargest (National—Awarua): That was published long before the crisis occurred. Mr Sullivan: It was published on September 20th, 1932. The honourable member and Iris party went to the polls, and it was unaltered. Mr Largest: The crisis was on September 26th. Mr Sullivan: But the National Party went to the polls on it, and there was ample time for it to bo rectified. The Minister preceded to deal with the question of supplies in wartime, stating that this had received careful consideration by the Government.

Supplies in Wartime. In the event of an outbreak of hostilities, the Minister continued. Now Zealand would experience great difficulty in securing essential commodities, not only because sea traffic might suffer interruption, but also because factories in other Empire countries would be fully occupied in providing for requirements of their own lands. It: therefore became the inherent duty of the Government to make every preparation it could to get essential requirements into the country on the one hand, and on the other, to got our own manufacturing concerns into a position to supply these requirements. if need arose. Tolling England. Mr Holland said that the previous evening the member for Oarnaru. the Rev. Novdmeyer. had made a biting attack . on the British Government's foreign policy. It was time this sort of talk ceased, he said, and wc all got together and presented a united front with Hie Empire. Instead of that we had tiie member for Oarnaru trying to tell England how to run her affairs. “And look at what a mess members

of his party have made of New Zealand,” he added. Troops and Their Cost. Mr W. T. Anderton (Government— Eden) said that Opposition members asked for a force of 50,000 men in New Zealand. Did the honourable members on the opposite benches know what the equipment for such a force would cost? It would cost in the vicinity of two million pounds a year. Would the Opposition support a capital levy on wealth to provide that sum? If they would not, then they were not talking with sincerity. Loyalty of Labour. He said the Opposition members had accused certain members of the Government with being anti-British because they had criticised British foreign policy. At present there were no more loyal members of the House than those on the Government benches, but they used their commonsense. Was any Englishman pleased at the agreement that had been made with Japan?

Attack cn Mr Chamberlain. No one could be expected to support Mr Chamberlain when he was wrong. why, London itself today was plastered with newspaper placards:: ‘‘Got Rid of Chamberlain.” As far as the apaneso situation was concerned, Jhe said wo had sold out to a burglar. Japan was a burglar. She had not declared ■war on China. A tew weeks ago Mr Chamberlain had spoken feelingly at Cardiff of the indignities offered to British residents in China by the Japanese, and said Britain would stand firm and show traditional British courage, but he had immediately allowed parleys to take place with the Japanese. An increasing numbei of young men were going into the at my because they considered the country was worth defending, but. with a Prime Minister like Mr Chamberlain in Britain, lie doubted the security of New Zealand and of the Empire.