UNCERTAIN TIMES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 98, 28 April 1939, Page 7

UNCERTAIN TIMES

NECESSITY FOR AMPLE PRECAUTIONS MOBILISATION PROCEDURE [ British Official Wireless. ] RUGBY, April 26. In his announcement that a Bill would be introduced giving powers to call up for military training all mon between 20 and 21, Mr. Neville Chamberlain said: “The Government has recentlygiven fresh consideration to the procedure applicable to measures which it might consider necessary to put the country into a complete state of preparedness for defence," he said. "The results of its investigations showed that the present procedure for mobilisation of forces is anti-

quated in character and quite unsuited to modern conditions, based as it is, upon the hypothesis that war could only come after such a period of warning as would give time to change from a peace to a war footing. "Broadly speaking, tinder the present procedure, mobilisation, whether complete or partial, can only take place after the issue of a proclamation which is different in the case of each service, declaring that a state of emergency exists. The issue of such proclamations was no doubt originally contemplated as taking place when an outbreak of war appeared imminent, but in present times war may not appear imminent and yet general conditions may be so uncertain that it is desirable to take | certain precautions without publicity and shock to the public confidence which would be caused by the issue of proclamations, which will simplify the procedure and enable the Government by Order-in-Council to authorise the various service departments to call up any class or description of reserve and auxiliary forces." To Prevent War Continuing. Mr. Chamberlain said: "The Bill will be of a temporary character. The Government has given consideration also to new liabilities which with the approval of. all quarters of the House it has incurred in Europe within the last month and to the means it has at its disposal to discharge them effectively. I need perhaps hardly repeat, that the object of assurances given by certain countries as well as the conversations now proceeding with other Governments is not to wage war, but to prevent it. “Bearing this object in mind we cannot but be impressed with the view shared by other democratic countries and specially by our friends in Europe that despite the immense efforts this country has already made by way of rearmament, nothing would so impress the world with the determination of this country to offer firm resistance to any attempt of general j domination as its acceptance of the principle of compulsory military service. ' Hitherto it has not been thought necessary to introduce* any such measure in peace time. We are not at war now, but when every country is straining all its resources to be ready for war, when confidence in. the maintenance of peace is being undermined and everyone knows that, if war were to come we might pass , into it in a matter not of weeks but of hours, no on can pretend that this is peacetime in any sense in which the term could be fairly used. “For the Time Being” “Under the Bill it will be necessary to call up certain territoria and non-regular Air Force personnel to reinforce the system of anti-air-craft defence throughout the period of uneasiness which may last for a long time yet, and which would be neither fair to them nor to their employers,” continued the Prime Minister. "Accordingly the Government has come to the conclusion that to meet these new and, I hope, exceptional conditions, some measure of compulsory military training has for the time being become necessary. I say for the time being because I wish to emphasise that the Governments ' proposals which will be embodied in a , second Bill entitled the Military Training Bill, will be of a temporary character. As will be the case with the Reserve and Auxiliary Forces Bill, it is contemplated that powers will’ be given by the Military Training Bill, which will last three years, but that if at any earlier date the Government is of opinion that circum- ■ stances have so changed as to make these powers no longer necessary, they can be brought to an end by an ! Order-in-Council. Features of Bill ; Continuing, Mr. Chamberlain summarised the main features of She ■ Military Training Bill. "This Bill i lakes power to call up for military training in this country only unless

war breaks out, all men between the ages of 20 and 21. The men to' be called up will receive six months'' training and after that period will be discharged and given an opportunity of entering the territorial army for three and a-half years. If they do not exercise the opinion, they will : pass to the special reserve of the regular army. Provision will be made whereby individuals, when good cause is shown, may anticipate or postpone for a specific period, the date of their , calling-up as far as national interests: permit. Exemption by tribunals of; conscientious objectors conditionally i on their undertaking to do work of, national importance is provided. The i introduction of this measure leaves the voluntary system as the basis of 1 three defence services.” i Mr. Chamberlain added that the i Government intended to take steps :to limit profits of firms mainly en- : gaged in the rearmament programme. If war broke out legislation would be : enacted imposing special penalties on profiteering and providing for any increases of profits of individual wealth to be appropriately curtailed to the benefit, of the State.