NATIONAL DEFENCE LEAGUE

Otago Witness, Issue 3509, 14 June 1921, Page 21

NATIONAL DEFENCE LEAGUE

ADDRESS BY SIR ANDREW RUSSELL. At a meeting in the Burns Hall on the 9th Aiajor-general Sir Andrew Russell (president, or the National Detente League) delivered an address on tiie aims and objects of tiro league, at the same time outlining its policy. In introducing- the speaker, the Mayor (Air J. S. Douglas), who presided, said that Sir Andrew Russell bore a name that was held in honour in Dunedin. Ilia father, Sir William Russell, was looked upon as a statesman of no mean ability, and one who had helped very greatly to mould the destinies of this dominion. But it was also ;.s the commander of the New Zealand Division in France and on the field oi battle that they welcomed him Very heartily to Dunedin. —(Applause.; Personally ho was an oi l volunteer and territorial officer, himself, and he wished to say that he fully concurred with the objects of the league of which Sir Andrew Russell was the president, it was to be hoped that the services of such a league w ould never be required on the field of battle, but the training and the discipline for which it stood could be looked upon as a nation'll asset from the physical point of view and of benefit to the citizens generally.—(Applause.) Sir Andrew Russell, who, on rising to speak, was very warmly received, sum he took it his audience would not be there unless they were more or less in sympathy with the formation of the National Defence League and recognised the necessity for adequate defence on an efficient basis. This meant that we must be able to do quickly anything that was required of us in reason to uphold the Empire. The Empire was far-flung, and might bs attacked in any one place, and we in the dominions must be prepared to fly to whatever part was attacked. In other words we must have a striking force ready and efficiently trained. This did not mean a standing army. He supposed the present standing army could all be accommodated in the hall. FIRST LINE OF DEFENCE. It also meant that we must be ready to defend our own shores in case anything went wrong with the navy. lie was sometimes asked why he had nothing to say about the navy or the air force. The navy had the Navy League, and if the National Defence League took it up it would only lead to overlapping. His own opinion was that if they had only sixpence to spend on national defence it should go to the navy, because an adequate navy was absolutely essential. Without it outland force would be bottled up and we would be starved. As for the air force, it was incorporated in any scheme of territorial defence, and, lie understood, so far as this country was concerned, would be part of the Territorial Force. An air force and navy were the first line of defence for this country. With an air force, a sufficient number of submarines, and a reasonable force at sea, no hostile force would dare to attack the country. There was no ground for thinking that the League of Nations could do the work which the optimists once thought it could. War was going on all over Europe, and there were clouds in the East-. India was a danger spot, and no one knew what the next turn of the wheel of fortune might bring. But we did know that there was danger in the air, and that we were not going to depend entirely on other people for our defence. He did not think the Old Country was able any longer to support, the burden which she had supported since before 1914, and leave so Jit tie to the dominions. Everyone would agree that we should bear our share in the common defence and face the cost. “As you know,” said General Russell. “ there are those who preach a misty internationalism. I do not imagine that any of you subscribe to it. You probably believe, as I do, that those families get, on best which are united to protect- and help each other. T he same thing, then, applies to the British commonwealth. If we arc prepared all up and down the Empire to help and protect each other, we will stand a much better chance of surviving and helping the other nations also to pursue a peaceful path because it is weakness and unpreparedness that encourage aggression and robbery, and all those qualities which, rightly or wrongly, we associate with Prussianism ” OBJ El i l< INS i >LA I .T WITH, lie desired to deal with some of the objections that were levelled against the league. In the first the reproach of militarism was levelled against it, but it was an entirely false conception that because a nation learned to defend itself it was becoming aggressive. it was further urged against the league that it was liable to bolster up class privileges and distinctions, but that eonlil lii.i be ihe ease when every man who joined it ranked on an equal footing, whether he remained ill the ranks or whether by his qualities and his willingness to exercise them he became a leader. The objection of expense was another argument that was used against the league, and while ii was somewhat difficult to meet lie would like to point out that most of the

money necessary, although not all of it, would be .spent in the country. In the defence force as it at present existed we had what many people considered an infertile and unproductive asset, but he wanted briefly to show that in the leagu® (Ley would have something very much letter than that und something that, so far from being a debit, was really a credit balance. If the present system of military training were extended and sustained by a recruits’ camp, where cadets could undergo a short but definite period of training, their physical fitness would be greatly increased and they would learn the qualities of obedience, self-control, and the subordination of their own wills to that of another person. Over a long period this sort of training undeniably produced a lack of initiative a:id mental lethargy, but in small doses it was one of the best things in tee w< ild to fc stcr alertness, self-respect, self-control, and a spirit of helpfulness in the advancement of a general aim. It developed a common outlook or a spirit of “ team-work,” and in the development of that spirit a great, advance would be made towards solving a great deal of the unrest which existed at tlie present time, while the men themselves, falling under its influence ot tlie mo t impressionable neriod of their li.es, vx-nM h-e----conie belter citizens iri every way. SUCCESS IN WAR. It was unde.made tint the chief factor which made for success in war was morale. Marshal Koch had said Hint the Lullin' of the Germane had been due to lack of morale, whereas it had been possessed by tho Allied troops. And this fee.ing could not be produced without patriotic citizens; it could not be produced without men who knew their job; and it could c be developed to its highest degree without physical efficiency. It. was absolutely essentia! that there should bo a trained staff, and it was very unpleasant, to see the criticism that v-as 100 often directed against these men who were doing their work, difficult though it was, and doing it well. The reason for having a trained staff was because one could not be improvised at a moment’s notice. After the Boer War the Imperial General .Staff had been established, and it hud turned out the men who had given the raw soldiers from New Zealand all their training. 'The Now Zealand soldiers had learned their work at the hands of the men who had been through tlie staff colleges at Home, and it was not until 1916 that tha armies in France had begun to move forward, because not until then was there a sufficiently well-trained army in existence. A COMMUNITY CLUB. In conclusion, General Russell briefly described the Community Club which had been established in Wellington. It had been started, he said, by a number of people who. during the war period, had done a great amount of work on behalf of the soldiers, and who, having liked the work for its own sake, had decided to continue their efforts among the territorials and cadets. It was the intention of the promoters to establish a c-lub room, where lectures would be given on the subject of physical fitness and personal hygiene, the doctors having agreed to take up the matter 1 and give addresses. tiorne of the leading educationalists had also agreed to lecturp on citizenship, civics, patriotism, and kindred subjects. “I think that the idea is a good one,” said Gene ral Russell, “ because if you have a good citizen the chances are if he Is required that ho will be a good soldier.’ ’ All they could hope to do. he concluded.

was to keep the Flag living. National defence was not- a popular subject, but they could at least keep it before the public, eye and not allow the people to overlook a vital need because their eves had not been opened to it. The Alayor invited questions, but none were forthcoming. Air E. R. Smith moved a hearty vote of thanks to Sir Andrew, and proposed a resolution affirming the need for establishing a branch of the league in Dunedin, recommending the Provisional Committee to take the necessary steps accordingly, and authorising it to add to its numbers. If we were prepared, we might bo euro our preparedness would be known to tho enemy, whoever he might bp, and tho chance of attack would be small; but if we were unprepared, it would be equaliv well known, and the danger of* attack all the greater. lie took it the object of tho league was to see that every man who was capable of bearing arms should have sufficient training to enable him to take h:s place in the defence of his country. Colonel Cowie Nicholls seconded tho motion. Air 11. Gore opposed the motion. Those who had vend the report of Professor Pringle's address ‘on the combination of remember that lie said tho uniting of the nations would prevent war. lie deprecated such dsousstons on defence while tho League of Nations was in embryo “ especially the advocacy of a lot of old gentlemen who never have and never will take up arms.”--(Laughter.) It was a wrong thing to put forward, especially at the end of a war which was fought to end war. The motion was carried, Air Gove being the only dissentient. The audience then sang the National Anthem, and gave three cheers for the King. And a voire called “God bless him.”