SOLDIERS AND POLITICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3403, 4 June 1919, Page 8

SOLDIERS AND POLITICS.

A SPIRITED DEBATE. THE MOTION DEFEATED. CHRISTPHUECH, May 28. The much debated question of political action was discussed at to-day's conference of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association. . Notice of the matter had been given by several remits. The President (Dr E. Boxer) asked members to try to understand what they meant by political action, as they might have vastly different interpretations. He moved: " That for the purpose of this discussion on the proposed political action of the association the words 'political action'_ shall mean action which is concerned with the election of candidates for Parliament." He wished to point out that the association already took political action in approaching Ministers or members of Parliament or laying manifestos before Parliament. This was perfectly constitutional, and he thought ought to be continued. The motion was carried. The Auckland remit, that the article dealing with the scope of the association bo altered bv the inclusion of the word "political," was moved by Mr E. F. Andrews. Ho said he moved the remit with a deep sense of responsibility, for he felt that on it depended the future success of the association. He was the thirty-first member to join the Auckland branch, and he was then opposed to political action, for ho believed it wis only necessary to place the needs of the moil and their dependents before Parliament to secure justice and redress, but for years Parliament had faded in its responsibilities. Local associations had redressed thousands of grievances, but the whole result of the work of the executive had been a failure, except to secure an inadequate mufti allowance at the price of Felling the claims of - the first 20,000 men who returned to the country. He challenged anyone to show that one of the recommendations had been carried out. B was claimed that men coming back should be provided with first-class accommodation. "Paddy" Webb, a conscientious objector, was provided with first-class accommodation to go to gaol, but the boys wero herded into second class carriages.—(Applause). They had asked for one Minister of Repatriation, but had met with failure. The strongest claim, and one which was supported by §9 per cent, of the people, .was retrospective allowances for married soldiers, many of whom would never return. The association had simply been swent aside, and had now been offered (is a bribe, because election was approachincr, n nnrt of what they asked, and it was offci-ed as a gift and not as a ricrht "Wo want no crifts, but merplv justice." Mr Andrews addod. He raid the Government had fnilod to take any disabled mnn into its employ, unless he could pass n ptifi 7 medical examination. The association had been told that men had little chance of shotting clerical situations with the Government becniise women were filling them. The wives and children of men who overstonned their leave were punished unjustly because of the bread-winners' default, and the dependants had been told to go to the patriotic societies. "The Government does not give a damn," said

Mr Andrews, "if that woman is forced on to the town, while the breadwinner is away." Realising that every pledge made by members of Parliament had been broken, Mr Andrews added, he became a convert to political action, but not to party action. He supported non-party political action, and if in one electorate there were three or more candidates, the association should place a pledge before them to sign, and if they all signed the association should tell its members that it was immaterial who they voted for, but if one of them refused to sign the association should fight to secure his defeat.

• Mr M'Gili (Wanganui) seconded the motion.

Mr Cowlos (Wairarapa) moved an amendment that "non-party" be substituted in the motion for "political," and Mr Andrews said ha was prepared to accept it. The President said he thought political action was essentially party action. If the conference accepted or refused the _ principle of political action, as indicated in the motion, it was perfectly competent to decide as to whether the action should be party political action or non-party, but the primo issue was clear-cut political or nonpolitical action. Dr Hastings (Temuka) said the conference was in labour, and if a-political child came forth it would in his opinion be premature. He really believed in political action, but the time was premature. He would not be in favour of anything that would endanger the vitality of the association. No one could deny the grievances of soldiers. The people would really do what they could for returned soldiers if they were not hampered by party action. Politicians, however, had -gone back on promises, and they had no guarantee even thatwritten promises would be kept. The measure should bo deferred till they got the pulse beat of the whole dominion. Mr Batten (Wellington) said even if the last action had failed there was no guarantee the new order of things would succeed. Mr Willis (Hawera) said there seemed to be a wrong idea that the Government was some brooding, malignant body holding up huge sums of money which the association' was entitled to grab, if it could;. but the money referred to belonged to the people. The association should not adopt political action as far as the election of members was concerned; but should try, like Hercules, to cleanse politics. "Force is a surly weapon at best," Mr Willis added, "we have the people of the country behind us, and if wo take political action they will say let them take care of themselves. Half the people of the country will feel that way, and we will alienate a great amount of sympathy of the people." Mr T. Way (Auckland) said the association was set up to rectify _ the grievances of men suffering serious disablement, but notwithstanding the most earnest efforts of the executive no tangible results had been attained. He could find no other means of reform save political action, because the association had arrived at a dead end, and the whole expense of the conference would be wasted if no action was taken. Mr Malone (Napier) said the present Government, which had just come in for just and unjust criticism, was a National one, and each of the parties in it must share blame showered upon it. If action was taken as proposed they would alienate a large amount of public support. There were many differences of opinion, and if it caused a split it would be the first step towards the end of the association. Mr Rivers (Hastings) said they must be very .canny, and very chary, as to how they used tho right of political action. They might be used by unscrupulous, pernicious pothunters —men who would use the association for the furtherance of their own ends. They would promise their souls or their shirts, and yet the soldiers would get nothing. Political action, if it excluded party action, would be ideal, but if tho association entered the arena of political action it would be good-bye to all hopes of bringing about the most cherished ambitions of the association.' Regarding the re-establishment of the returned soldiers, Mr (Jowles (Masterton) said the question as viewed by sneakers seemed to be whether they were going to die of old age, or conmiit hari kari % There should be laid down a definite platform of reasonable demands. Some seemed to think political action was going to split up the association. Ho did not think such would be the cose. The only political action they should indulge in" was that referring directly to soldiers. They need not bother about such questions as the importation of Asiatic eggs, etc. Let them get tho assurance of candidates for Parliament that they 'would carry out what the soldiers wanted. They must trust somebody. Political action on the lines laid down by' him would result in greater cohesion, and not in division. Mr Harper ( Wellington; said success would lie in getting the general public behind tho association, and with proper organisation and live interest in important questions the members would spread tho propaganda throughout the country.— (Hear, hear.) Many people had subscribed to the association because it was non-politi-cal; and members would bo false to their

trust if they departed from their constitution.

The- Rev. Mr Walker (Christen uxch) asked what was the basis upon which the association had been built up? Had not ita two principal planks baen non-political and non-sectarianism? If they departed from theso they would lose the confidence reposed in them by the general public There ware- many grievances to be redressed, but the public would assist them in getting their rights. Ho was even confident that many members of Parliament wore sympathetic, but they had failed to feel the acuteness of the problem as soldiers did. Mr Pollock fAuckland) who supported the motion, said the demands the association was making were not so much for rights as for what the Government had promised before the men were sent away and had failed to give. Mr Best (Dannevirke) and Mr Jacobs (Palmerston North) contended if the association's organisation were put in order it could wield its power to ensure proper administration of the Acta concerning returned soldiers. The Acts were Rood, but the administration was bad. Ho hoped the remits would be defeated, but, it carried, he would assist the supporters of political action.

Mr L. Reid (Blenheim) opposed the remits, as the returned men could be kept to themselves much mo"re by associating themselves with public-spirited men ana bodies than by converting themselves into a political body. - Messrs Graham (Invercargill), Brown, and Pridham (Wanganui) also supported the remits, the last-named saying he did not agree with the taihoa- policy advocated by some speakers. Mr Luxford (Wanganui) said that if they were out only for advantages to returned men he would say: Leave political action alone; but they must be idealists to a certain extent, and a new political situation was necessary, for the country was politically stagnant. Mr Percy Brandon (Wellington) said he understood that,under the civil service regulations no civil servant could belong to a political organisation, and if the association formed itself into a political body every civil servant in it would be obliged to resign. He would strongly oppose tbs motion :f such a disability were nlaced upon civil servants. He did not think the time ripe for the association to form itself into a political association. Mr Washer (Tauranga) said there were a number of members of the association in the military forces, and, according to the Army Regulations, no soldier was allowed to take part in political action. The association would lose a-number of very able members if it formed itself into a political body. Mr N. B. M'Callum (Ghristchurch) saitf that the men who had gone away had had all shades of political opinion, and it wag doubtful whether on their return they could be expected to see eye to eye with one another on party politics; rather, they would stand by old political beliefs. It was treading on dangerous ground to depart from a policy which had the unanimous aoproval of the public, and the association "should apply itself to constructive schemes for the general good. Mr Witty (Nelson) said the only bond that was holding the association's members together was the fact they had all seen active service, and that they were all out for the good of the men who had gone to the war and returned injured, and for their dependents. The danger of division if the motion were carried was very real. Mr Leadley (Ghristchurch) saiß he could see in the remit nothing to be afraid of, and they had heard nothing of sufficient importance in the debates to influence a man to vote. They should remember at next election that there were politicians' who had sacrificed the soldiers' interests to party politics. After a further lengthy d-spussion, lasting until nearly 7 p.m., Mr Andrews, in replying, said objection had been made that if the motion were carried it would result in the association being cast into the melting pot. He questioned whether that would be altogether a disadvantage. He had no doubt that many returned soldiers would stand as candidates next election, but they ought to have the association as a tody behind them. With regard to the statement that a returned soldier did not get Government employment if he was a member of a political body, if that was true he thought it a damnable disgrace that such a state of things should exist. On a division the remit was rejected by 50 votes to 24. The announcement of the result was received in silence. Mr Andrews said he thanked the opponents of political action for their sportsmanlike attitude towards the remit. His side was beaten, but not discouraged, but there would be no split.—(Applause.) He intended to work fairly to reverse the decision in next conference.