LABOUR PLEDGE OF SUPPORT

Southland Times, Issue 24057, 22 February 1940, Page 6

LABOUR PLEDGE OF SUPPORT

JOINT STATEMENT ISSUED WAR TO OVERTHROW AGGRESSION “NO CONSCRIPTION WHILE LABOUR IS IN POWER” (United Press Association) WELLINGTON, February 21. The New Zealand Labour movement’s war policy and peace aims were discyssed at a conference of the national executive of the New Zealand Labour Party and the national council of the Federation of Labour held in the Trades Hall at Wellington today. The conference endorsed the statement that to fail now to give the fullest support in the fight against Nazi aggression would brand the Labour’ movement as politically irresponsible or worse. The peace aims outlined by the leader of the British Labour - Party (Major C. R. Attlee) were also endorsed. It was stated that there would be no conscription in New Zealand while Labour was in power and a declaration in favour of freedom of speech and opinion was made. At the conference there was a full attendance of national executive members of both organizations. The conference adopted the following statement to be submitted for endorsement by the annual conferences of the Labour Party and the Federation of Labour to be held at Easter: “After examination of the events leading up to the war and the trend of international affairs to date, this conference endorses the manifestoes 'issued by the executive of the New Zealand Labour Party and the Federation of Labour in connection with New Zealand’s participation in the war. We endorse the action of our Government in co-operation with Britain and France in their resistance to Nazi aggression and also the statements made in connection therewith by the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister and we pledge our whole-hearted support to assist the Government to bring the war to a speedy and successful termination in the interests of the common people of all countries. FIGHT FOR LIBERTIES “Our standards of living and culture are not excelled by those of people of any other country. Self government by the people of New Zealand within the British Commonwealth of Nations is the best guarantee of the continuation of our liberties and the protection and improvement of the living standards of the people of New Zealand. “We are in agreement with the British Labour and trade union movement and with the trade union and socialist movement in France and with, the '■ International Federation of Trade Unions in their determination to ensure that the peoples of all countries shall have the right to decide their own political destiny free from fear of aggression by the dictatorship nations where trade unionism and liberty are in chains and the best fighters for freedom imprisoned in concentration camps. “Ever since the conclusion of the last war the Labour movement in New Zealand has followed the same policy as the British Labour movement in relation to international justice and faildealing between nations and has consistently advocated a united stand by the democratic nations against the aggressions of the dictatorships. In common with the Labour movement throughout the world we were seriously perturbed at the former tendency of the British Government to retreat in the face of aggression and even apparently to try to make terms with the Hitler regime. We repeatedly urged that the retreat should cease. We therefore welcome the stand the British Government has taken against Nazi aggression but the Labour movement, after exerting its influence in bringing about this alteration in British foreign policy, must also take its share of the responsibility for the successful carrying out of the policy of resistance to aggression. . “The British Government has at last taken the course we repeatedly urged upon it. To fail now to give the fullest support in the fight against Nazi aggression would brand the Labour movement as politically irresponsible or worse. GERMAN WORKERS REPRESSED “While we realize that the working people of Germany are in no important respect different from ourselves and while we hope to welcome them back some day to co-operation with the international Labour movement, we must face the situation as it is today. German workers have no powei- to express their independent opinions and their organizations have been ruthlessly suppressed. We know that should Germany win we must inevitably meet the same fate and lose every advantage we have gained through years of struggle in the political and industrial fields. In this struggle there can be no neutrality. We therefore reaffirm our determination to do everything possible to overthrow the Nazi regime, and to that end we pledge ourselves to assist the Government to the utmost.

“We endorse the peace aims outlined by the leader of the British Labour Party on July 13, 1939.” A joint statement on the defence of democracy was issued by the national council of the Federation of Labour and the national executive of the Labour Party. That- statement said among other things: “We are opposed to conscription for military service either inside New Zealand or overseas. We are are satsified that there is no need for conscription. Our young men will rally to the cause of the defence of their freedom against any aggressor.” “NO CONSCRIPTION” “We further desire to say that in our opinion there is no good reason for either conscription or anti-conscription movements in New Zealand. There is no conscription in New Zealand and there will be no conscription while Labour is in power. The best possible guarantee against conscription, therefore, is to participate in the work of the Labour and trade union movements to help to keep Labour in power and to support the Government’s voluntary recruiting campaign. We urge every member of the Labour movement to volunteer his or her services for utilization in the most effective way in which their knowledge, experience and capacity can be used for the safety and progress of the Dominion. “No doubt many of those who are agitating against conscription are sincere in their fears of its possibility in this country, but it appears to us that some, at least, are actuated more by a desire to make things awkward for the Labour Government and create disunity within the Labour movement

than by a genuine fear of conscription. “Use the Social Security registration form for the compilation of the national register of man power is essential for the efficient planning and organization of the country’s economic and industrial life, and has no relationship to conscription. “WAR AGAINST AGGRESSORS” “We support our Government’s participation in this war, because it is a war of democracy against aggressors who seek to destroy every democratic right and liberty that Labour has fought so hard, and at such cost and sacrifice ,to win. Our movement has been built up on a basis of democracy and we believe in the maintenance of the democratic rights of the people in war time as well as in times of peace. “We therefore declare ourselves in favour of the continuance of freedom of speech and opinion in New Zealand.” The statement concludes:— “Freedom of speech does not mean freedom to disorganize traffic by holding open-air meetings in busy streets or wilfully to court disorder, but that facilities should be provided for meetings in suitable places approved by recognized authorities to enable expression of opinion by those who are willing to abide by the laws of the country.”