TRAINING FOR ALL

Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1935, Page 3

TRAINING FOR ALL

SUGGESTION AT WAVERLEY. RETURNED SOLDIERS’ SUPPORT. An appeal for returned soldiers to interest themselves in a movement to have general national training of the youth of New Zealand instituted was made by Mr. T. E. Roberts, Patea, at the annual meeting yesterday of the Waverley Returned Soldiers’ Association. Mr. Roberts spoke on the project to more than 20 returned soldiers, the opinion of the majority of whom was in favour of his suggestions. In outlining his view of the necessity for training, Mr. Roberts said Anzac Day was a day of memories and the sentiments attaching to it were sound and good. He would give a reminder that the sooner the last war was forgotten, the sooner would another one come along. It was celebrated too funereally at present. To the returned soldiers- -fee day was one of memories of lost comrades, of hardships and comradeship. For 17 years now, England had decreased her armaments for the purpose of convincing other nations that she was out for peace. That was the duty of Anzac Day. In the last few months, however, England had materially altered her ideas and the people of New Zealand could take a lead from that. The only answer in New Zealand was national training of some kind. ' ' Anyone urging that policy would find it difficult, of course, to convince the r people, but the Returned Soldiers’ Association had the duty ■of educating the people on that question. The returned men by using their voice could do it. With their knowledge of the horrors and the filth and the degradation of the war, the men knew exactly the benefits of universal training. The young generation was slack in many ways, and it required the training. If the Returned Soldiers’ Association was to do anything of real service in New Zealand it was by going ahead with the idea of instituting training. The old saying that to keep peace, a nation must prepare for war, still held ' true, said Mr. P. V. Graves, president, in thanking Mr. Roberts for his address.