THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES Saturday, May 29, 1943. STRENGTH IN UNITY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25238, 29 May 1943, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES Saturday, May 29, 1943. STRENGTH IN UNITY

When delegates to the annual conference of the New Zealand Returned Services’ Association met in Wellington this week two separate counsels were given to them which, if 'heeded, should not only profoundly and beneficially affect the future welfare of ex-servicemen and their dependents but should also contribute to a material extent towards the solution of problems that must be expected to arise in nati’onal administration. The GovernorGeneral, Sir Cyril Newall, after expressing the hope that every returned soldier would join the R.S.A. and would keep in mind the truth that the good name of the association must depend as much on what was put into it as on what was taken out of it, added a final word. “ I would like to see,” he said, “more members of the association taking a more active part in public life, not as an associations but as individuals, because it would be the end of the association if it became political.” His Excellency was followed by the Prime Minister, who suggested that the Government would be helped and the welfare of all returned men promoted if there were only one organisation representing them. For very obvious reasons, said Mr Fraser, he would leave it at that, except to emphasise that, if it' were humanly possible, representations from returned men should be made “ with one voice, wfth one direction, and with one set of proposals.” It may be argued that, in some degree, acceptance of the Prime Minister’s suggestion for unity of rivalry between ex-servicemen* is contingent upon acceptance of the GovernorGeneral’s dictum that active participation in politics should be eschewed by them fas a body. In point of fact, the constitution of the first.R.S.A., when,, it was written twenty-sfe.ven years ago, expressly excluded association with any political organisation, and that principle has been wisely adhered to, ever since. It could scarcely be otherwise; when it is realised that the association must contain within its ranks men of every possible shade of political opinion. Any attempt to re-create the R.S.A. as a political organisation—whether the fifst or second R.S.A., or a merger of the two —would immediately divide its membership into factions. Political views are so diverse that no single constitution could harmonise them. The result of any effort to do so would be that men who had fought together, learning in camp and on thelfield of battle the true value of comradeship and tne inherent strength of a single loyalty, would be set against each other in political discord; And there would be the resultant and unedifying spectacle of .other political groups suing for the support of one or another of the soldiers’ groups. Indeed; the country is aware that one established group has already added the word “ soldier ” to its party label—a dubious device which, it may /be expected, will' earn it a merited rebuff at . the proper time. There can be no reason to suppose 'that when the men at present overseas return to civil life they will show any fuller agreement in . political opinions than they possessed before mobilisation. 'They will again become part of a community rightly; priding itself on the political freedom which it enjoys—, freedom of thought in assessing political values. Outside of politics, as an association, the body ,of returned servicemen should nevertheless be able to impress their needs, 'and their appraisal of political programmes, on the community as a whole, and particularly on those who may seek the right to govern. If the anomaly of separate servicemen s organisations is removed, as it should be and, we would say, must be, returned- men will be in a position to speak to the country with a united voice and their influence in politics must become something. to be reckoned with by all parties.. There surely peed be no contrariety in aims or in views between servicemen of the v last war and of this. On the other hand there should exist, between the representatives of separate generations,- an indestructible bond of sympathy and understanding, and a singleness of purpose with the will and the ability to pursue it to the desired end. The R.S.A., as his Excellency has said, must exercise a stabilising and beneficial influence on the community as a whole. As a unified body, secure in its own strength, certain of its objectives and remote from ttye possibility of party political interference, it need not be expected to do less.