ENTRY INTO WAR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22195, 23 August 1935, Page 13

ENTRY INTO WAR

DOMINION'S POSITION STATEMENT BY MR. FORBES HOSTILITY AT RECEPTION [Hv TKLKGUAPH —PHKSS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Tliurstlny Pandemonium reigned for se\era! minutes during the civic reception to the Prime Minister, Mr. Forbes, and the Minister of Finance, Mr. Coates, at the Town Hall last night. Mr. Forbes' opening remarks were inaudible owing to the hoo-ing and shouting from the back of the hall, the main demand being for an explanation why the Prime Minister, in a speech in Canada, had committed Now Zealand to war in the event of Britain's participation in hostilities. Mr. Forbes eventually was allowed to explain that what he had said was that before New Zealand would go to war in association with Britain, the New Zealand Parliament would havo to be called together. The explanation did not satisfy the persons at the back of the hall, and some time elapsed before the rowdyism subsided and Mr. Forbes was able to continue his speech. Further Explanation To-day, the Prime Minister said since his return to New Zealand his attention had been drawn to a number of resolutions passed by various bodies in N.;w Zealand and to a number of communications that had been forwarded to him from certain quarters in connection with a statement he was alleged to have made while in Canada concerning the position of New Zealand should Great Britain be at war. Some point had been made of this matter by way of interjection at the civic reception to Mr. Coates and himself. Mr. Forbes stated that what he had said on the subject in Canada was in precisely the same terms as the statement he made in the House last February. "In this statement, which was laid on the table as a parliamentary paper," said Mr. Forbes, " I said there must be no blinking the fact that if Great Britain became involved in war New Zealand would also be involved.'' Ties ol Sentiment " ' l'his is so,' 1 added, ' not only liecause of the legal position as we accept it in New Zealand (although there is some difference of opinion on this matter in certain other Dominions); it is s6 because the sentiment of this country would inevitably insist on New Zealand standing shoulder to shoulder with Great Britain in such circumstances, and even were these two reasons absent any catastrophe that affects Great Britain must inevitably affect New Zealand also, bound up as we are in the welfare of the Old Country.' ' " This is nothing more than a statement of the actual position," said Mr. Forbes. " TLe statement I made in Canada has apparently reached New Zealand in garbled form, and it is apparently alleged that 1 said that in such circumstances New Zealand would automatically proceed to fight and that there would be no necessity to call Parliament I said nothing of the sort, and obviously, should such a dire eventuality arise, the very first step that would certainly have to bo taken in New Zealand would be to call Parliament together to consider the position. 1 actually said this in Canada, but that portion of my remarks was apparently | omitted from the message sent to New Zealand."

INTERRUPTION OF SPEAKERS WIRELESS FACILITIES LIKELY [nr TKI/KCi' It APH PIIKSS association] WELLINGTON. Thursday In view of the disturbance created by a section of the audience at the civic reception to Mr. Forbes and Mr. Coates last evening, it is believed that the Government will shortly consider the advisability of making use of the broadcasting facilities in order to present its ease to the public. Similar facilities would have to be provided for the representatives of other political parties, and the time to lie allotted to representative speeches would' probably be a matter for arrangement. There is a feeling that a certain section of the community is likely to adopt tactics which will prevent the free expression of opinions at public meetings.