N.Z. Labour Supports War, No Compulsion

Northern Advocate, 22 February 1940, Page 7

N.Z. Labour Supports War, No Compulsion

I Per Press Association. Copyright .] WELLINGTON, This Day. THE NEW ZEALAND LABOUR MOVEMENT’S WAR POLICY AND PEACE AIMS WERE DISCUSSED AT A CONFERENCE OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE OF THE NEW •ZEALAND LABOUR PARTY AND THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF THE FEDERATION OF LABOUR, HELD IN WELLINGTON YESTERDAY. Tin* conference endorsed a statemenMhat to fail now to render the fullest support in the fight against Nazi aggression would brand the Labour movement as politically irresponsible or worse. The peace aims outlined by the leader of the British Labour Party were also endorsed. It was slated that there would be no conscription in New Zealand while Labour was in power.

A declaration in favour of freedom $ or speech and opinion was rnaae. '-luc• comerence adopted me ioilowing statement to be suomitted lor endorsement. by me annual coe.ierences or me- Lauuur Jt-arty and me Federation oi naDour to ue held at Faster: — vvnoieiiearied support. "After an examination oi events leading up to me war and me trend of International affairs to date, this cuniertnce enuorscs me manifestos issued uy the executives oi the New Zealand mabour Rarty and the Federation or naoour in connection with New Zealand's participation m me war. 1 "We endorse the action of our Government in co-operating with Britain and France in tneir resistance to Nazi aggression, and also me statements made in connection therewith by the Rrime Minister and Deputy-Rrime Minister, and we pledge our wholehearted support to assist the Government to bring the war to a speedy and successful termination in tne interests of the common people of ail countries.

“We therefore reaffirm our determination to do everything possible to overthrow the Nazi regime, and to that end we pledge ourselves to assist the Government to the utmost. "We endorse the peace aims outlined by the leader of the British Labour Party. “On July 13, 1939, a joint statement on the defence of democracy was issued by the National Council of the Federation of Labour, and the National Executive of the Labour Party. “That statement said, among other things: ‘We are opposed to conscription for military service, either inside of New Zealand or overseas. We are satisfied there is no need for conscription. Our young men will rally to the cause of defence of their freedom against any aggressor.’ Appeal to Movement. “We further desire to say that, in our opinion, there is no good reason for either conscription or anticonscription movements in New Zealand. There is no conscription in New Zealand, and there wiil be no conscription while Labour is in power. “The best possible guarantee against conscription, therefore, is to participate in the work of the Labour and trade union movements to help to keep Labour in power, and to support the Government’s voluntary recruiting campaign. “We urge every member of the Labour movement to volunteer his or her services for utilisation in the most effective way in which their knowledge, experience and capacity can be used for the safety and progress of the Dominion. “No doubt many of those who are agitating against conscription are sincere in their fears of its possibility in this country, but it appears to us that some at least are actuated more by a desire to make things awkward for the Labour Government and create disunity within the Labour movement than by a genuine fear of conscription. Freedom of Speech. “We support our Government’s participation in this war because it is a war of democracy against aggressors who seek to destroy every democratic right and liberty that Labour hafc fought so hard and at such cost and sacrifice to win. “Our movement has been built up on the basis of democracy, and we believe in the maintenance of the democratic rights of the people in wartime, as well as in times of peace. “We therefore declare ourselves in favour of a continuation of freedom of speech and opinion in New Zealand.”

“Our standards of living and culture are not excelled by ihat of the people of any oilier country. Selfgovernment or the people of New Zealand within the British Commonwealth of Nations is the best guarantee oi the continuation of our liberty and the protection and improvement of the living standards of the people of New Zealand. “Ever since the conclusion of the last war the Labour movement in New Zealand has followed the same policy as the British Labour movement in relation to international justice and fair dealing between nations, and has consistently advocated a united stand of democratic nations against the aggressions of the dictatorships. Must Stand by ideals. "In common with the Labour movement throughout the world we were seriously perturbed at the former tendency of the British Government to retreat in the face of aggression, and even apparently to try to make terms with the Hitler regime. We repeatedly urged the retreat should cease. “We therefore welcome the stand the British Government has taken against Nazi aggression, but the Labour movement, after exerting its influence in bringing about this alteration in British foreign policy, must also take its share of the responsibility of the successful carrying out of the policy to resist aggression. “The British Government has at last taken the course we repeatedly urged upon it. “While we realise that the working people of Germany are in no important respect different from ourselves, and while we hope to welcome them back some day to co-operation with the international Labour movement, we must face the situation as it is today. “The German workers have no power to express their independent opinions, and their organisations have been ruthlessly suppressed. To Overthrow Nazis. “We know that should Germany win we must inevitably meet the same fate and lose every advantage we have gained through years of struggle in the political and industrial fields. In this struggle there can be no neutrality.