The Timaru Herald WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1945. Future Of Dominion Forces

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23268, 1 August 1945, Page 4

The Timaru Herald WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1945. Future Of Dominion Forces

war correspondent’s report of i function in Trieste gives tin public the first news of a movemen of the New Zealand Division ii Italy It is stated in this report tha Lieutenant-General Sir Bernan Freyberg, in proposing the toast o the Commander of the Eighth Armv said: "Vie are now moving from th, European theatre and although w< feel the break on leaving old friends we know we are leaving the Eight! Army after a triumphal ending.” 1 Lieutenant-General I rex berg, with : full conception of his responsibility is able to make this statement with out disclosing information of value to the surviving enemy, it shows that the Government has once mori observed unnecessary reticence ii acquainting the people of New Zealand with what is happening to th: Division. Perhaps the Prime Min ister was withhholding his announcement until the Parliamentary debate on the war effort: if this is so, his thunder has been stolen in Trieste.

The eflect of the announcement, however, should be to hasten the debate in Parliament on the part New Zealand is to take in lie war against Japan. It now seems likely that this discussion will take place this week. If so, it is desirable that the debate should be entirely free and that none of it should be taken in secret. This question of the future use of the Dominion’s Armed Forces is of the closest possible concern to every New Zealander and it is necessary that there should be a free expression of public opinion in Parliament. In the past the Government was compelled by the harsh necessities of war to make rapid decisions, and on the whole its decisions, as far as the war was concerned, were excellent, resulting not only in the maintenance of the Dominion’s war reputation, but often in its further embellishment. But conditions have changed, and the Government is no longer under the same obligation to act quickly and decisively. The final stages of the Japanese war may not be easy, but there is time for a more leisured consideration of what New Zealand can best do to overthrow the enemy in the Pacific. It is possible that the Government has already made its own decision and will simply ask Parliament to confirm its actions, but if it has done so there is no real excuse for this abrupt and final method. Parliament should have some part at least in actually framing the future war policy of the Dominion. A formal debate leading only to endorsement of what the Government has already decided to do will be valueless, but a debate which would enable the Government to gauge the feelings of the people would be valuable. That is the kind of debate which is generally hoped for, but whether or not it is to be had should be known later in the week.