WAR POLICY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23615, 27 March 1940, Page 11

WAR POLICY

THE LABOUR MOVEMENT RECENT STATEMENT APPROVED [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Tuesday Tim joint statement on war policy adopted recently by the national executives of the New Zealand Labour Party and the New Zealand Federation of Labour, and subsequently endorsed by a 10 to 1 majority at the federation annual conference, was approved bv the Annual conference of the Labour Party to-day by 821 votes to 104. This was on a card vote, in which delegates have votes according to the strength of unions. This statement was given wide publicity at the time it was Summarised, it declared that to faii now to render the fullest support in the fight against Nazi aggression would brand the Labour movement as politically irresponsible or worse. Opposition to conscription was .affirmed unconditionally. and on the subject of freedom of speech the joint statement said that freedom of speech did not mean freedom to disorganise traffic by holding open-air meetings 'in busy streets or to wilfully court disorder, but that facilities should be provided for meetings in suitable selected places approved by recognised authorities to enable the expression of opinion by those willing to abide by the laws of I the country. \

SUPPLY OP RECRUITS RESOLUTION BY CONFERENCE [by telegraph—OWN" correspondent] "WELLINGTON, Tuesday The debate on war policy at the Labour Party conference to-day fell bfllow the standard of that at the earlier conference. It was a long debate and at one stage the chairman, Mr. J. Roberts, presented a motion by a delegate that the closure be applied, but this was rejected and the debate continued. Mr. A. H. Nordmeyer was one of the members of Parliament- who took part in the debate, and an amendment moved by him was ruled out by the chairman as being a direct negative to the motion for endorsement of the joint statement. An important motion carried by the conference was that in the event of insufficient recruits for service overseas being obtained a conference of party delegates from throughout New Zealand" should be called. While many delegates had grave doubts, the majority of the conference accepted as binding the joint declaration that conscription would not be introduced so long as a Labour Government was in power.