NATIONAL DEFENCE.

Colonist, Volume LXII, Issue 15347, 10 April 1920, Page 5

NATIONAL DEFENCE.

POLICY OF NEW LEAGUE.

STATEMENT BY GENERAL SIR

A. H. RUSSELL

(Ffom ; Our Own Correspondent.)

Wellington, April 8. In a policy statement issued to-day by Major-General Sir A. H. liusell, President of the recently-formed National Defence League of New Zealand, he says:— "In explaining the policy of the re-cently-formed National Defence League of New Zealand, of which I have the honour to be president, 1 desire to emphasise several important factors for the consideration of the people of this country. The fact of the matter is the world to-day_ is tired of war and its abominations, tired of everything it brought in its train, and all that it meant, and not unnaturally a feeling of lassitude has crept over the people, : and made them inclined to put the whole I subject out of their minds, and relax into an attitude, not exactly of indiffererence, but of dislike for the whole thing. People, in! conseqvience, have been asking whether there is any need [again to take up national defence.. It was in order to emphasise that need that the National Defence League was formed at a largely-attended meeting held in Wellington some days ago. Plenty of people have tteen taking as a motto the dictum—of the-President of the United States, I think—that tjhe late war was 'a war to end war.' There has been no greater fallacy. Not only do such people say, '"turn your swords into ploughshares'; they urge us to turn our backs on the whole question of national defence. There are plenty of these false prophets abroad to-day. They speak smooth things, but we must not listen to them. There can :be no question of a Avar to end war. War cannot be driven out by war, any more than an efficient- police force can do away with crime. The abolition of war demands the removal of causes Avliicli lie deeply imbedded in human nature. When the individual and the nation have been educated to a full realisation of their duties and responsibilities, there will be no need for police, or defence leagues, or compulsory military service ; but that day is not yet. There is, therefore, need for a league of this kind to wake the people up_ to the importance of being prepared to defend their ideals and their property, as well as to be able to Ho their duty," not only to this country, but to the Empire and to the race to which Are belong. "IN NO SENSE POLITICAL." "The National Defence League is in no sense party political. It has nothing to do with party politics whatever. We are a league Jormed, so far as defence is concerned, to help the Government, Avhateyer Government happens to be ia power, to do its duty, because Government, like, the rest of us, can only go as far as circumstances and public opinion allow them. It is the mission of the league to educate the electorate, on the heed for an efficient defence organisation, and when it has done that eitzens may be sure that the Government wilt do its duty. What is the position now? I understand that no less than ten members of the House of Representatives are pledged to go back to the voluntary system, ana know that it Avas absolutely impossible, j They know that it Avas no insurance atj all; the money that Avas spent upon it, I cannot say Avas entirely Avasted, but it was very nearly so. The people of New Zealand can no more expect to have an efficient defence force under the voluntar system than to have good roads if I they are to be left to pay their rates or j not as they like. Under the voluntary system those in charge cannot know what they have got. The responsibility for whatever system of defence we possess rests Avith the electors; it rests with everyone, and what the" league proposes to do is to educate the country by means of propaganda—to stir up its. friends and to convert its opponent's. • To those of the latter avlio are socialisti- j cally minded, I would submit that uni-; versal obligation in the matter of de-j fence is the one concrete example ofj Socialism which, has stood the test of; experience and practice. 1 believe that! If the position is put forward clearly' and in a reasoned fashion, without rhe-' toric or froth, the people will adopt the; right course. ' What a Government < wants is the reasoned support of the [ electors, not their unreasoned support,.! which is as bad for Governments as for' individuals. PRICE OF INEFFICIENCY. "There is one factor which the people' of this country require to specially bear in mind in relation to defence, and that is that any money allocated for defence purposes to-day is Avorth far less than it would have been in 1913, and if the; Defence Forces are starved it will mean that they will be ill-trained and ill-; equipped*. That means inefficiency, ' and infheiency in war means the unnec- \ essary loss of life. How much this is j so the people of NeAV Zealand may real-* ise'from a recently published summary j of the views of American Generals. In "The World's Work," for November, 1919, it is stated: 'Twenty-six out of, thirty general officers, holding command in the American Expeditionary Force, who were asked what proportion of our battle losses was due to lack of training, replied: 'At least half.' The four ethers ~ were more conservative; —<>ne Major-General put it at about a third.' "This only confirms the statement made by the American Secretary of State for War previously, when he said . that 'to thrust untrained citizens into , the field is notfiing short of death by Government order.' When I speak of , not starving the Defence Forces, the people of this Dominion must not become imbued with, the idea that the league advocates extravagance. What the league wants is sound defence, run ■ as economically as possible, on the least : money that can be put down ;_ but it does nnt want- to 'spoil the ship for a ba'porth of tar.' The actual plan of defence, however, does not come within tne province of tlie league;. That neces-; snrily is a matter for the experts.) Fifst, the Government should have a' policy, and the defence ..scheme should be. framed to suit that policy. It would be idle for a league composed of civilians to say Avhat are the proper proposals in detail; but there are cer+nin bmrid principles which it will .up-i; bold. If any radical clfanges are pro-j posed—and certain members are pledp:-j "d to revrrt to the voluntary system—it ( is the duty of the league to scrutinisej. Mich proposals carefully, and act accord- j ma- to its conclusions.

POLICY OF THE LEAGUE DEFINED.

"I now wish to direct attention to the specific aims and .objects of the league, as set out in its constitution. These arc, broadly'defined as follows :—■ " 'To maintain a White New Zealand; to secure the immunity of the country from invsion; to educate the people of the country upon such measures of defence n-s may he considered necessary. Tn the attainment of these objects the league specifically lays it down as its policy that it is not desired to convert the manhood of this country into soldiers, hub purely to ensure that every man is capable of Bearing arms is given

sufficient military training to enable him to obey, the highest duty of citi^nS by being able adequately to assist to protect his country should the occasion arise. In other words, the platform of the league sets forth that tho New ZeaJander is a citizen, and only becomes a fcokiier when he is required for? the de- ■ jence of his country. 5 "If we can convert the manhood of 7 this country into good citizens we shall - have a fighting force that will represent 1 a great deal more in the eyes of a coin--3 mander than would appear on paper. Good citizenship lies at the back of the - best soldiers. 5 "In order to achieve its objects the 5 league proposes to advocate 'the main- . tenance of an universal defensive train.mg system/ The league holds that military training should be universal, not only for reasons of defence, for ; which a quota would possibly 'be sufficient; but for otlier reasons. Again tn» ■ Jeague urges: 'As far as practicable, tlHu ; embodiment of the lessons of the'iato ( war in our universal defensive training » system.' Here I wish to point out that : the lessons of the war were not merely . those connected with the handling of a . platoon, or the use of a machine-gun. j There are other things—great moral [ Kssons which were learned as a result of ; fee war. Another proposal in the league's [ platform is 'The" provision of suffi- ■ cient guns, rifles, and equipment so that ; the New Zealand Citizen Army, on mobilisation for the defence of our own i, shores, will be able to take the field fully • equipped,' and will have sufficient spares for replacement.' At present Ido not . know what we have got, but it is very r little. i OPPOSITION TO MILITARISM. '"'One of the bogies raised by oppou- . ents to the introduction of sound defensive training in the past was that an '. attempt was being made to introduce | militarism. So far as t*ie members of . the league are concerned, they loathe , and despise anything that breathes of | that spirit, and they will have nothing ,to do with in. Another objection has been that compulsory trailing is contrary to democracy, and has a tendency ' to produce a gulf between officers and L men. Any other than a democratic defence force in New Zealand is unthink- '_ able, but a special clause to ensure this . is included in the objects of tne league. , This clause reads • 'The acceptance of , the principle that in. future no one, ex- ' cept in the case of the public interest, can become a commissioned officer or i the New Zealand' Citizen Defence Forces '. unless he has served three years in the ranks.' I do not say that a perfect democratic army cannot be obtained without that clause, but with it, the acomplishment of the ideal should be perfectly safe. MORAL AND HEALTH ASPECTS. "There are four Jother proposals in the constitution of the league, which call for special consideration. These 'The devotion of special attention to the moral training of the youth of this country, and their education in the deals of good citizenship. 'The strict suppression of all bad language in camps, making its use punishable as in civilian life. The league insists that this evil must be put down with a strong hand, and demands that tlie Defence Department shall take practical steps to secure its eradication. 'The taking of every possible prej caution to preserve the health of boys ' while undergoing training in camp or elsewhere, with endeavours to improve tlie same under proper medical supervision ; also educating trainees upon the observance of health principles during both civilian and military life. 1 'The employment of selected women jto assist in cooking, ambulance work, and in all the institutes in camp where they can be profitably and suitably em- ; ployed.' THE FINAL AIM. "In conclusion, I wish to refer to the fact that one or two or our schoolmasters appear to look askance at military 'training. I am glad to be able to say, | on the other hand, that already we have < a number of our prominent educationaljists with us in the league, and I expect many more will follow. No better sup- ' port was obtained from any class of ;men at the front than from the school- ' masters. Perhaps some of them who 'have been indulging in.criticism in the 1 past, look upon the methods of edu- < cation in camp with a certain spirit of ' rivalry and. distrust. Yet when they .' think the matter out they will probablj' 1 realise that.all that is aimed at in the camps is not exactly to put the capping on the work that is done in the schools, but rather that in the camps the best i is done to nourish and foster the seedlings of good citizenship which it has been the- schoolmaster's privilege to plant. When they look at it in that light, I think these critics will como , along and help. There are people who ! talk about humanity, about one grand ;brotherhood, and about doing away with ; war. I believe in all tTTose ideals myself, but I think the first thing to do is I to be triifl to ourselves, then to the Emjpire: and then only probably, will it be • possible for us to he true to humanity. •+bnt larprr humanity to which we all belong, whatever our creed, our colour, or our civilisation."