UNIVERSAL SERVICE

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 58, Issue 4188, 24 May 1939, Page 6

UNIVERSAL SERVICE

FULL TRAINING ESSENTIAL. NATIONAL PARTY POLICY. An announcement that the National party had decided to support strongly universal military service for home defence was made by Mr J. Hargest, M.P. for Awarua, when speaking at the Town Hall on Tuesday evening. He said the decision had been made following discussion at the recent caucus of the party. “Universal military service for home defence will form part of our policy,” he said. “Only by placing the obligation on all men can we obtain the required numbers, and it is the only democratic way. We all claim the right to share the national privileges; we all have an equal responsibility to defend them. “Mr Savage has recently stated that the soldier will not be the first to be conscripted that he will conscript wealth first,” Mr Hargest continued. “He knows as well as anyone that in an emergency Parliament can do at one sitting anything it wishes with wealth and property, but it cannot train men by Act of Parliament. That takes time, and to wait until the enemy arrives at the gates is suicidal. It would entail useless slaughter. “In the event of war, the National party would immediately mobilise all the country’s resources—financial, material and physical—in the defence of the Dominion. Nothing else would be sufficient.” Mr Hargest added that the most urgent need to-day, however, was trained men. All the expenditure in the world on fortifications, aeroplanes and armaments would not compensate for lack of men.

“I am one who believes that had we had proper training before war broke out, we would have been able to capture Gallipoli, and thus have appreciably shortened the War. That is the effect and result of our lack of

preparedness I am one who would prefer to defend our homes by attacking the enemy on his own ground, striking at his weakest spot, rather than stopping at home to await the attackers in their own good time .... I believe any victor would gladly retain New Zealand as a prize for it is probably the best and most attractive part of the Empire. If it is right to compel a man to join a trade union, to pay Social Security, is it not right to compel a man to join in military training for the defence of all we hold dear . . . But you cannot train a soldier in a week, but he can be better fitted for that training by giving him a knowledge of the weapons of war .... Mr Savage was quite wrong in saying there was no danger of attack. Returned soldiers who served in France, knew what invasion was, in all its horrors. New Zealand was not prepared for effective defence. There were only twelve Bren guns (marvellous weapons) in New Zealand; the guns issued for training at present were the same guns as were issued for the same purpose twenty years ago. There were no anti-aircraft guns at all. Yet Mr Semple was busy building roads that could and would, be used by an invader, and New Zealand could not defend those roads, lacking equipment and training ... I do seriously ask you to get behind the Government in its effort to provide an efficient force of 50,000 men, backed heartily by the whole of the people of the Dominion, irrespective of political creeds.” ( Applause). Mr J. Oliphant, in proposing a vote of thanks, recalled that both he and Mr Hargest were sergeants in the Main Body proceeding overseas. Mr Hargest was a gentleman of high attainments, and a worthy New Zealander, imbued with a high ideal. Mr L. G. Armstrong seconded.

The vote was accorded amid loud applause.