IS CONSCRIPTION NEEDED ?

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14983, 9 August 1919, Page 7

IS CONSCRIPTION NEEDED ?

NEW ZEALAND\S FUTURE DE

FENCE

(Special to the Herald.)

WELLINGTON, this day. Recent suggestions for training the youth of New Zealand were brought under the notice of Sir Joseph Ward by your correspondent, with the result that tho Minister of Finance reviewed the whole position of the subject hopefully, indicating the general abandonment of his principle by war-weary nations. Germany's army, he -said, was cut down to 200,000 needed for the. interna] regulation of order. The abolition of conscription m Germany was a tremendous change. Countries like France and Italy will not feel they have to train great masses ,of their "people into fighting forces. Russia, when, internecine wars ended, would bo only too. glad to adopt similar conditions, while it was unnecessary to say that people of the United Kingdom had never been friends of conscription, and the Dominions had never, until recent years, thought it necessary to train their youths m conscript armies. America had decided that a voluntary army of half a million would suffice for that nation of 110 millions. Thus, except Japan, there was practically no Power favorable- to conscription. He regarded the League of Nations" as of enormous importance m preserving the peoples of the world from ths re-introduction of conscription. Though not perfect the League contained the germ of an organisation which would exercise international authority for the preservation of the world's peace. It was not a question of what th© League of Nations was to-day, but what it' would develop into m five or ten. years. "Tlie League," he continued, "will provide a breathing space during which the education of the people, certainly the youths, for a period of years, will transform a world which has been taught that fighting is the only way towards the goal of independence within map limitations .and tho boundaries of people who live under different names and speak different languages. As for New Zealand, I am quite satisfied v that conscription- is not necessary, and should not be continued, excent when necessary to fight for the freedom of the masses of tho people throughout the British Empire. Otherwise there is no justification for its continuance. In saying this I am quite satisfied with the need for continuing to train our youth, and passing them to a reserve without anything m the shape •of a standing army or even the nucleus of one. being necessary. I have not seen or read anything of what has transpired m New Zealand on the subject of the future military policy, but I am satisfied that the training of our youths to fit them for the defence of their hearths and homes for years to pome is quite a different matter from anything approaching tho maintenance of a' standing army."