THE NORTHERN ADVOCATE Registered for transmission through the Post as a newspaper THURSDAY AUGUST 4, 1049. New Zealand's Overwhelming 'Yes'

Northern Advocate, 4 August 1949, Page 4

THE NORTHERN ADVOCATE Registered for transmission through the Post as a newspaper THURSDAY AUGUST 4, 1049. New Zealand's Overwhelming 'Yes'

By no uncertain vote the people of New Zealand yesterday declared decisively their support of the scheme for compulsory military training in peacetime submitted to a referendum.

A majority of more than three to one in favour of the proposal leaves no room for doubt as to the mandate given for the earliest introduction of compulsory military training of 18-year-old youths in accordance with the scheme propounded by the Government and its advisers on national defence. It is true that a considerable number of electors did not go to the ballot-box, but that seems to be a common experience in democratic countries where every adult has the same privilege as his neighbour of sharing the shaping of national policy.

At the same time, .the fact that 535,401 out of 688,000' electors, who went to the poll voted in favour of the proposal submitted to them proves conclusively that New Zealanders realise the necessity for preparing their country to share resistance to aggression if such should present itself.

It is safe to assume that few strong opponents of the compulsory military training scheme failed to go to the ballot-box, which makes more impressive the overwhelming affirmative vote. Particularly heartening is it to know that once the decision to hold a referendum on a proposal of paramount national importance had been taken there was a closing of the ranks of the political parties, whose leaders cooperated wholeheartedly to secure the people’s support of a policy transcending in importance other questions upon which the parties invariably differ. That this was generally recognised is disclosed in the fact that in constituencies where Labour supporters have predominated, big affirmative majorities were recorded despite the fact that in other years the party has been traditionally opposed to conscription in any form. This indicates that supporters of the Government and the Opposition placed state before party when national safety was the question at

issue, a consideration suggesting the beneficial results which would flow from general application of such a principle to ail questions of national and international import. In the light of the referendum’s

mandate, Parliament should lose no time in setting the necessary machinery in action. There is obviously much organising to be done before the compulsory military training of young men can begin, and it may be expected that experience will demonstrate the need for adaptations to meet circumstances as they develop. Mi' Fraser has good reason to be pleased with the result of the referendum, for the refusal of the Labour Party Conference to approve compulsory military training placed him in an awkward predicament from which he extricated himself and his supporters by adopting reference of

the question to the people of the Dominion, whose expression of opinion, obviously made by supporters of Labour and National parties, will make smoother the path to compulsory training in peacetime. Apart altogether from the domestic: aspect qf yesterday’s expression of public opinion, the result of the

referendum will have importance far beyond the coasts of the Dominion, for, though this is a small country, it has once more declared its allegiance to the Commonwealth and to the Mother Country, to whose guardianship and help it owes very largely the prosperity and security it has enjoyed. Some people, of course, will laugh at a suggestion that New Zealand’s decision to develop its defences and train its young men for military service if occasion for such should arise, will exercise salutary influence upon aggressively inclined nation or nations, but scoffers may well consider what would have been the reaction of those nations if New Zealand had said “No” yesterday. The verdict of the people of the Dominion will undoubtedly be regarded as a symbol of the spirit which the threat of aggression has stirred in the breasts of libertyloving people the world over. And that, after all, is the aspect of yesterday’s referendum verdict which is all-important.