Training Essential

Northern Advocate, 17 May 1949, Page 3

Training Essential

A motion favouring compulsory military training, moved by Mr H. G. Carruth, was carried unanimously by the annual general meeting of the Whangarei RSA last night. Mr Carruth said that a compulsory scheme would serve the general good of the country and not just a militaristic ideal, while still being good for youth, as a certain amount of discipline under proper conditions must be beneficial.

It was essential, Mr Carruth said, to retain the knowledge and experience of the officers and n.c.o.s who had learned their lessons the hard way. Seconding, Mr H. P. Conyers-Brown quoted General Eisenhower as saying that the heavy casualties sustained by the Americans in North Africa were largely due to throwing green troops into action. UNIONISM QUOTED

The lessons of Gallipoli and the early days of the recent war showed that training along sound lines paid dividends'.

"If it is reasonable to have compulsory unionism so that all pull their weight, then it is reasonable that there should be compulsory military service for the same purpose,” said Mr D. G. Morrison. Mr K. W. R. Glasgow, the Northland representative on the NZRA, traced the history of the move for compulsory training. A strong committee, drawn from the RSA, Homeservieemen’s Association, Air Force Association. Defence League and the War Amputees’ Association, prepared a scheme for the defence of New Zealand. This scheme, said Mr Glascow, had never been attacked by the Government or the Service chiefs of staff.

PRACTICAL SCIIEMIj) Entirely produced by men who had seen active service, the scheme was the result of lessons learned in action. Men who went to the Middle East in the later reinforcements would remember the high standard of training available at Maadi when a full brigade exercise could be run in one month. The scheme was modelled on Maadi Camp practice. The next move was made by the New Zealand press, which printed eight articles by prominent ex-ser-vicemen.

These articles had since been collected in booklet form. v Few direct attacks were made on the scheme, and most of these came from the Anti-Conscription League, in which members of the- Communist Party figured prominently. Two newspapers attacked the scheme—the People's Voice and an Auckland fortnightly. What infuriated the defence committee, said Mr Glasgow, were the specious arguments levelled against the scheme. OBJECTIONS ANSWERED

One such was the statement that “156,000 German soldiers defeated 5,000,000 French conscripts.” Those German troons were conscripts themselves, but were better trained and better led, and, most important of all. were backed by the whole nation, Mr Glasgow said. Another strong objection to the scheme was that it was formulated by "bi-ass-hats from lieutenant-generals down to colonels.”

“This campaign is not run by brasshats,” said Mr Glasgow, “as all the associations engaged in the campaign are run by democratically - elected executives.”

Any suggestion of militaristic ambitions on the part of the men who wrote the articles for the press was incorrect, as they were all either too old to be clanking their sabres, or else they had become unfit owing to war injury. REFERENDUM OPPOSED

One point on which the RSA must stand firm was in opposing settling of the controversy by referendum. Such a vital issue as national safety was quite definitely not one for a referendum.

In a matter such as the licensing poll both sides could lay their cards on the table, whereas in defence matters, the strongest cards were secret and could not be revealed, said Mr Glasgow. Opposed By 2 Unions WELLINGTON, Tue., (P.A.).— By 10 votes to four the national council of the Tramway Authorities Employees’ Union decided at its annual conference to adhere to its previous decision to oppose conscription.

This decision was announced in a report of the conference issued yesterday. A resolution opposing peacetime conscription was passed by the biennial conference of the New Zealand Transport Workers’ Federation yesterday, with no dissentients according to an official report from the meeting. The federation represents 41,974 affiliated workers in the transport industry.

A change of command at the Royal New Zealand Air Force station, Whenuapai, is likely to be announced soon. The present commanding officer, Group Captain F. R. Newell, is expected to be posted to the Air Department, Wellington, as director of organisation and staff duties, and to be replaced by Group Captain M. F. Calder, C.B.E.

Hamilton has the highest number of . road accidents in New Zealand, according to information released by the Transport Department. The figure is 3.3 per 1000, compared with Nelson’s 0.9 per 1000. Auckland is second to Hamilton with 3.1. Figures for other centres are: Dunedin, 1.5; Invercargill, 1.8; Palmerston North, 2.2; Lower Hutt, 2.3; Wanganui, - 2.4. Christchurch, 2.5; Wellington, 2.8.