POLITICS AND DEFENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23829, 8 June 1939, Page 10

POLITICS AND DEFENCE

The matter of the association of politics with defence in such circumstances as' those discussed by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce is of some general interest. A proposition such as that considered by the Auckland Council of the New Zealand Federation of Labour, to the purport that a company should be enlisted of bona fide members of trade unions and officered by trade unionists, would have the effect of introducing into the defence forces of the Dominion an element which has hitherto found no recognised place in their composition. It has been suggested, apparently, that the scheme should be tried out in Auckland, with the idea that, if successful, it might be extended to other parts of the country. But the view taken by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, that it would be unfortunate if recruiting for the defence forces should rest on any basis of political, party, or sectional appeal, is surely a very sound one. Nothing of the kind has obtained hitherto in this country, and there seems no good reason why a movement should now be inaugurated for its introduction. As the Prime Minister has properly said, defence is a national matter, a matter quite beyond the sphere of party politics. If trade unionism has become so self-conscious as to desire to be represented by its own defence units, and retain the marks of its individuality within the ranks of a citizen army, that must appear rather unfortunate. What advantage might be supposed to derive from such a departure is not very clear. It would tend to mean the introduction of sectional and class distinctions in circumstances in which there should be no room for anything of the kind. If it should be suggested that it might encourage enlistment in one direction it is surely obvious that it might be calculated to discourage it in another. That the basis of enlistment should be as broad as possible, without distinction of class or creed, trade or profession, must appear eminently desirable if a homogeneous defence force is to be built up, animated by an esprit de corps which finds its stimulus in an undivided loyalty to one cause, the protection of the Dominion in the event of emergency and the promotion of national security. It cannot be desirable that response to the appeal to young men to join the territorial forces and to others to enrol for service should be attended with reservations such as the formation of special units on the lines of the proposition of the Auckland branch of the Federation of Labour would imply. Nor should that sort of thing be at all necessary. The Government should be alive to the objections likely ’to be raised to the introduction of the principle that would be involved.