FACING UP TO IT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23662, 22 May 1940, Page 11

FACING UP TO IT

BELATED WAR EFFORT GOVERNMENT'S DUTY REPAIRING OMISSIONS NATIONAL PARTY'S STAND [RY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION"] NELSON, Tuesday In a statement to-night tho Leader of the Opposition, tho Hon. A. Hamilton, said: — Tho following extract from an article appearing in the January issue of the English National Review should he read and most carefully considered by all New Zealanders: —

"Tho winning of the war is the only issue. Nothing else matters. Every word said or printed, or unsaid or imprinted, should bo judged from this standpoint, and from no other. Does it help or embarrass our arms and those of our Allies? It is very easy to say—and it sounds plausible—that any criticism of tin? Government weakens its position, and consequently its action. "Unfortunately we have learned from bitter experience that without tho salutary tonic of criticism British Governments relapse into those blunders which are worse than crimes. I trust that the reader will agree that so long as criticism is honest and founded on facts and not inspired by any ulterior political object, but simply and solely with a view to smashing the barbarous 13oche, it is not less useful and indeed urgent in war than in peace." Fantastic Charges

The article from which the foregoing was taken was intended, of course, to apply to the British Parliament. It is every whit as applicable to our Parliament and our Government here in NewZealand. No criticism (even although justified) should be printed or spoken if the effect will be to weaken our war effort. No power should keep us silent if criticism is necessary to promoto a fuller effort. It is the realisation of this truth that has governed the activities of the National Party during the past nine months. So that there should not bo disunity at a time when our very existence as a nation is at stake, many actions of the Government which would, in normal times, have justified most I trenchant criticism, have been passed by—even to an extent which has led some of its supporters to ask the question: "What is the National Party doing?" On the other hand, rabid supporters of the Government accuse tho National Party of "playing politics in wartime." This charge, likewise, is fantastic. The Balanced View The party (through its leader) has tried to take a balanced view. It has not hesitated to criticise where criticism has been necessary, but it has sought to avoid criticism where this could not do good. It has given the Government every chance and assistance. The situation today is so grave and our all-round preparedness to meet it so obviously inadequate that tho national interests demand intense criticism. Glib talk and complacent .Ministerial utterances plav no practical part in ensuring that New Zealand maintains her maximum war effort. .Many already see that the present system of voluntary enlistment is not satisfactory. Urgent Questions For home defence, it is vitally necessary that avc maintain an adequate supply, of trained manpower, arms, equipment and _ munitions. A much more thorough investigation of economies in Government expenditure is already overdue, public works being an obvious case in point. Unfair competition between unproductive works and the productive works needed for war effort continues unabated in a great many ways, the former still being the more attractive. For instance, no adequate speeding-up of farm production has been achieved.

Urgent demands for some scheme of universal military service have been rejected by the Government and only a belated start has been made with some sections of ' our home defence. Surely compulsory universal home service is a first essential as a proper basis for our war-effort. The necessity for the intensification of effort in industry essential to the war effort is equally urgent. The relation of the soldier, and his conditions, to the civilian —his conditions, wages and hours of work — is anomalous, and the future relationship of these two groups remains obscure.

Time to Stand Together Finally, there is still lacking a, clear enunciation of a war finance policy. On all these matters there is an insistent demand from every section of the community for real leadership, which continuous official statements that "everything in our paradise is lovely" aggravates rather than soothes. This is the truth. It is realised by everyone that the threat of foreign conquest and domination is real. Where would the Arbitration Court, the 40liour week and other cherished rights of the people then be? Truth indeed may hurt, but it is better to live with our eyes open than in a fool's paradise in the Pacific. The National Party makes an appeal —an appeal no less to supporters of the Labour Party than to other sections of our community—to stand together in this time of crisis; to stand together and to do those things which every thinking New Zealander knows must be done to strengthen and repair a desperately weak position.

INTEREST-FREE LOANS [BY TKLKCHAI'ir —I'KESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Tuesday Interest-free loans total £1.846.529. To-day's list includes £IOOO each from A. 11. F. Wall, Wanganui, the Canterbury Jockey Club, and the Oainaru Trotting Club.