NEED FOR COMPULSORY MILITARY TRAINING

Waikato Independent, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3549, 4 May 1939, Page 5

NEED FOR COMPULSORY MILITARY TRAINING

DEFENCE OF DOMINION CAMBRIDGE FORMS BRANCH OF LEAGUE ADDRESS BY SIR ANDREW RUSSELL The need for compulsory military training to maintain an adequate defence of New Zealand ini time of war, was stressed by Major General Sir Andrew Russell, K.C.8., K.C.M.G., and Lieutenant Colonel H. E. Barrowclough, D. 5.0., when they delivered powerful addresses in the Peace Memorial Hall on Tuesday evening. There was a large atlenr dance, including several women. The meeting was held in the interests of the New Zealand Defence League, of which Sir Andrew is president, and the result was that a branch was formed in Cambridge and a strong provisional committee elected. rolled, and It will be the aim of the committee to increase that number greatly. It was made clear that there was a vast difference between conscription! and training for war. -The league considered that in a time of crisis, the voluntary system of enlistment was best, but it was necessary to have men who had already been prepared by compulsory training. Several times during the evening, the speakers mentioned that an invasion of New Zealand by Japan was not an improbability. After the Great War A survey of world affairs, leading up to the present state of Great Britain’s defence, was given by Sir Andrew. He commenced at the outbreak of the Great War, when Germany’s violation of the Neutrality Pact had been one of the reasons for England entering the conflict. After the war had been won the League of Nations was formed with the idea that any offending nation could be dealt with by sanctions - and not by war. This had meant partial disarmament and England had abandoned her two-power standard to abide by the pact, said the General. AIL nations were depending on collective security. In 1931 the first change came when Japan invaded Manchuria. ...China appealed against this violar tion to the League, but a chance to assert its power was missed. Italy’s invasion of Abyssinia in 1930 was a breach of the agreement. Italy had also signed the Kellog Pact not to use violence to further her interests. The League again funked the position, said Sir Andrew. Sanctions were imposed, but they were of no account whatever. They would have been effective if applied to petrol, but that might have caused war between Italy and England. Treaties Broken From then on breaches became numerous. In 1936, Hitler occupied the de-militarised zone on the Rhine. The French wished to take action, but England held off. When war broke out in Spain, the nonintervention pact was signed by Russia, Germany, Italy and England to confine the hostilities to Spain. England was the only country not to break the agreement. The sanctions in Italy and nonintervention pact in Spain had only resulted in ill-feeling between England and European nations, contended Sir Andrew. The position at Gibraltar had become very insecure and the trade route through the Mediterranean was in jeopardy. A further stage was reached when Hitler entered Sudetenland. Hitler said he was going no further, but in two months he had pushed right into Czechoslovakia. It had become evident that treaties and pacts were no good, and it was • necessary to judge dictators by their actions and not by their words, the General added. Britain’s Re-armamient * In* 1935-36, Great Britain discovered that her power in Europe was 1 not as strong as it had been. She then commenced to re-arm and an * £800,000,000 plan 'was adopted. Great Britain’s policy had always v been based on the balance of power. Now England had lost her friendship with Italy and Spain and oply France remained as a dependable friend. For self-preserva-tion, the lesser nations were naturally' avoiding an open declaration. Sir Andrew considered that Chamberlain’s attitude was correct 7' a t Munich recently, when time bad

been gained. He considered that war then might have resulted in defeat.

“Up to 1914 New Zealand was safe under the protection of the British Navy. That position no longer exists,” said Sir Andrew: “Japan is engaged in China, but only a percentage of her army is at war, while the navy is absolutely free.” He stressed the necessity of an efficient Navy by detailing instances in the Great War of how some German warships had had no chance against speedier opposition with longer range guns. At that time New Zealand had easily taken Fiji and now Japan could do the same thing. In the event of a war, New Zealand could not depend on the British Navy, and the Dominion’s air force, while on an extremely efficient foundation, would provide meagre defence.

“The problem of the Empire is firstly the defence of the Old Country, secondly protection of the trade routes, and thirdly the defence of outside dependencies,” said Sir Andrew. “Therefore our defence and safety relies on ourselves, and we must not cry out for help. We are greatly bound lip with Australia, whom we can assist and can depend on to reciprocate. Sir Andrew quoted figures which showed that in 1938 New Zealand spent 9/- a head on the Navy, compared with £2 5/- in England. For defence and armaments, the Dominion’s total was 25/- a head, and in England it was £9 10/- a head.

“The best contribution to the defence of the Empire is to be able to protect ourselves. What we want when the bell rings is not recruits but trained men.”

Sir Andrew added that his remarks did not mean that war was necessary or inevitable. However New Zealand was a country definitely suitable for Japan, who, no doubt, had eyes on the Southern Pacific. War might not happen, but the country must be prepared for that possibility and take precautions.

Ini conclusion, Sir Andrew said that New Zealand was a country with great possibilities, but was practically defenceless. He made a plea for compulsory training which would result in young men giving service to their country and helping their fellow r s. Moral and spiritual rearmament was the last line of defence—not guns, but national character.

After Sir Andrew had ( been thanked by the Mayor, Mr- Edgar James, who presided, Colonel Barrowclough, of Auckland, detailed the Defence League’s scheme of compulsory military training.

Everyone must have realised that the world was coming to a sorry pass, and was not a good heritage to hand on, he began. There were only two ways of putting an end to the situation. One was to lie down to the aggressors, which would not commend itself to anyone, and the other was for the British nation to co-operate with France and America, and thus be in a position to resist attack.

It was for New Zealanders, as part of the Empire, to do their part for reasonable justice in the world. The invasion of New Zealand was a possibility today, said the Colonel, and he asked if the country was ready to resist it. A few days ago the Prime Minister had said that the position was serious and that he might need 50,000 men, or even more, to defend our shores. Mr Savage had been convinced that he only had to sound the call and he would get the men. The Colonel agreed with him, but stressed the fact that the men would not be trained. In 1907, said Colonel Barrowclough, the Defence Act was introduced in New Zealand, under which territorial training was made compulsory. 'At that time 1 , when more countries were friendly, it was thought fit to have 30,000 trained men/. Since then reductions had been made, until in 1930 the territorials had been reduced to a skeleton army and the basic principle changed l to the volunteer system. The territorial officers predicted the scheme would be a failure, but promised to give it a trial for three years. However, the Minister of Defence, the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, and his party had gone out of office, and the trial had continued for nine years. The force was reduced to 9000 men, and difficulties arose which had not been forseen. The younger officers were unable

to learn properly when handling four men instead of forty, and they j did not acquire the knowledge to fit into a great army. The period for which the men enlisted w r as ■ also optional, and some joined for only a few months. Instructors were always handling new men and training never went beyond the elementary stage of soldiering. To slope arms and form fours was practically all that was learnt in the past nine years. Colonel Barrowclough felt that Mr Savage had not made his recent warning without having grave reason to fear the future. The Prime Minister had said that a large army might be needed. While men would be willing to come forward in the lime of crisis, they were not willing to prepare. There was a big difference between conscription during a war and .compulsory training beforehand. In a crisis, the voluntary system of enlistment was best, but the country had to have a fighting machine prepared by compulsory training. The Mayor of Auckland’s scheme to secure volunteers was mentioned by the Colonel. He said the recruits were far short of the number required, and would never reach the total. One man would not enlist while the other fellow did not have to. This was the psychological aspect of the volunteer system.

The aims of the Defence League were based on the establishment of a national register of both men and women, to render service to the country in the manner most convenient to their ability, said the Colonel. Everyone would be grouped in categories according to their experience. When that was done the persons set themselves to learn their special jobs, and fit themselves for an emergency.

It was proposed by the League that every young man, who was reasonably fit should be drafted at 18 into a training camp for three months continuous training. He would benefit by the discipline, as well as being taught to shoot and to drill. The Colonel considered that such training would add to the chest measurement and height of every man. It would help to built a fit nation, apart from any thought of war. On completion of that training, about 20,000 or 30,000 men would be drafted into the territorial army for four years. They would attend muster parades, a musketry course, and camp for 10 to 14 days. At 21 or 22 they would enter the reserve force as tolerably efficient soldiers.

In this manner a reserve of trained men, fit to take their place in the army, would be built up. Then if Mr Savage sent out a call for men-, the answer would be “here they are,” said tlie Colonel.

The equality of economic sacrifice, by which there would be no more war profiteering, was also contained in the League’s proposals. The League’s aims were too high for party politics to enter, added the Colonel. He hoped that the proposals were fair, and that all would stand for them. The only way to get results was by representation to Parliament, and therefore as many members of the League as possible were required. It was hoped that a strong branch would be formed in Cambridge. Branch Formed “I feel that everyone will be ready to support the aims of the League,” said the Mayor, in thanking Colonel Barrowclough for his remarks. On the motioni of Mr J. Jeans and Mr S. Wallis it was decided to form a branch of the League, and to set up a provisional committee. The members of the committee elected were the Mayor, Mr Edgar James; Mr J. W. Garland, chairman of the Leamington Town Board; Mr R. Newcombe, president of the Returned Soldiers’ Association; Messrs C. Meredith, A. J. Swayne, E. Nickle, P. Lewis, D. J. Lundon, C. W. Vennell and T. H. Hampshire (secretary). The need for young men to be actively associated with the League was mentioned by Mr *C. W. Vennell, and this will be borne in mind when a further meeting is held to elect officers for the branch.