COLONELS' CASE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23109, 6 August 1938, Page 17

COLONELS' CASE

DEFENCE AND POLITICS

DISCUSSION IN HOUSE LABOUR MEMBERS' ALLEGATIONS [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER 1 WELLINGTON, Friday Political motives on tho part of the four colonels who were placed on the retired list recently as a result of their manifesto concerning the state of the .Territorial Forces have been alleged by Government speakers during the financial debate in the House of Representatives. Reference to the Government's action in the case was also made from the Opposition side of the House to-day. "This business of the four colonels looks to bo something like a political ramp," said Mr. F. W. Schramm (Government—Auckland East). "It was put forward for the purpose of discrediting the Government almost on the eve of the election. I look through their names and I find that one of them was a delegate to the National Party conference." Opposition Members: No. Chairman at Opponent's Meeting "Colonel Spragg was a delegate to the National Party conference in 1936," said Mr. Schramm, "and the minutes show that ho spoke on defence. It was the same conference at which the member for Stratford advocated the abolition of the 'old gang.' This same Colonel Spragg has been a prominent member of the National Party in Auckland and has acted as chairman for a man who contested the Auckland East seat against me."

Mr. W. A. Bodkin (Opposition—Central Otago): Is that why they were cashiered ?

Mr. Schramm: The lion, member knows that they broke regulations which they had sworn to obey. The dismissal of the colonels was also mentioned to-day by Mr. J. A. Leo (Government —Grey Lynn). He was discussing criticism of the Government by the directors of the Reserve Bank when an Opposition member asked if tho directors were to receive the same treatment as the colonels. "The four colonels came under King's Regulations," said Mr. Lee. "They had precisely the same rights as a private. If one of those colonels had been on parade and a private had walked out from the ranks and started to give a political address from the soapbox, what would have happened to him? Tho soapbox has to belong to the private as well as to the colonel, but both of them come under King's Regulations." Experts' Advice Not Taken "The Government claims great credit for having taken expert advice in the matter of defence," said Mr. J. A. Roy (Opposition.—Clutha). "The advice of the four colonels, who were experts in defence, was not taken. I do not propose to go into the details of the.case, but their dismissal was a very serious thing for the defence of the country, as every member of the House who has had military experience will agree. "You cannot produco a colonel in a day or a year. It takes years of training and research before a man is fit to take command of a brigade. Those men were among tho .finest soldiers New Zealand has produced and it was a serious thing when they were summarily dismissed."

Mr. Roy said the defence position of New Zealand was at present totally inadequate. A comparison with the year 1913, when world conditions were somewhat similar, would be fair, although war appeared more likely today than it did then. In 1913 expenditure on defence in New Zealand was £1,250,000 and for 1938 it was also about £1,250,000. Kxnorts in 1913 were worth £22,500,000 and imports £2 1.££0,000, a total overseas trade of £44,000,000. Trade last year was £65,000,000 in exports and £58,000.000 in imports, making a total of £123,000,000 of overseas trade to protect. . The number of men in. training in 1913 was 30,000, Mr. Roy continued. It was now 7000 and of these only 3000 went into camp last year. There was only one man to protect a given quantity of trade to-day where there were 12 men in 1913. VICTIMISATION FEAR MEMBER'S ALLEGATION POSITION OF PUBLIC SERVANTS [BY TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL UKPORTKII] WELLINGTON, Friday An allegation that many public servants were afraid to be seen talking to members of the Opposition because of the' fear of victimisation was made bv Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (Opposition— Waitomo) during the financial debate in the House of Representatives today, . » Mr. Broadfoot said that the previous evening there had been an innuendo made l>v a Government speaker about a lady in Taranriki. The innuendo was that- * the woman concerned was the wife of the member for Stratford. The Speaker,, Hon. W. E. Barnard: The member for Waitomo has no right to make that statement. Had he been here last night he would have heard the direction 1 gave. Mr. Broadfoot said lie had in his desk copies of pamphlets attacking socialism. These pamphlets were being sold openlv in Is#w Zealand, and he wondered why the Government took no action against the people distributing Because four senior colonels had done their duty as an act of patriotism they had been placed, on the retired list, said Mr. Broadfoot. No one dare take a Government position in this country 'unless he were prepared to become a "ves" man. He knew people in the public service who were afraid to bo seen talking to members of the Opposition because of the fear of victimisation. That was a nice state of alfairs in the political life of New Zealand.