BRITAIN'S WAR OUR WAR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22195, 23 August 1935, Page 10

BRITAIN'S WAR OUR WAR

The threatening international outlook, and the fact that Britain is keeping the Dominions' representatives in London informed upon the situation, has again raised the question as to what would be New Zealand's position if Britain went to war. Mr. Forbes has been challenged in Wellington on the definition he is reported to have given in an interview four months ago. On his first statement there can be no dispute, because it is axiomatic. "When Britain is at war," he said, "we are at war." No separate declaration of war is required by New Zealand. There could be no neutrality for the Dominion in a British war. Even if she declared herself neutral, and Britain approved her attitude, no enemy could be persuaded to forbear from hostile action against New Zealand territory, trade or shipping, any more than an enemy would cease operations against Kent or Cornwall, if those counties tried to assert their neutrality in an English war. The only way for New Zealand to keep out of a British war would be by secession—cutting the painter—and she would need to take that unthinkable step well before the event; otherwise an enemy would certainly doubt New Zealand's good faith and, if it suited it, would not respect so sudden an assertion of independence and neutrality. For her own part, New Zealand would never consent to the cowardly policy of Imperial unity only in fair weather. These considerations apart, the legal position is as stated by Mr. Forbes, "When Britain is at war, we are at war." It would still remain for New Zealand to decide whether she would engage actively in the war, by way of despatching *an expeditionary force, for instance. The Prime Minister now denies the further statement attributed to him that, in case of war, "there would bo no necessity to call Parliament together to decide what should be done." In fact, he says, to call Parliament together would be his first step. It is conceivable that a hostile emergency might arise so suddenly that Cabinet would be justified in acting without consulting Parliament, but it could not proceed very far without its action receiving ratification by Parliament. The latter's consent would be necessary to obtain Supply, for one thing. Any action taken by the Government independently of Parliament would therefore be subject to the latter's approval, to be sought at the earliest opportunity, and would have to be fully justified by the immediacy of the emergency.