J-Force Men Spurn Offer Of Help From R.S.A. Headquarters

Wanganui Chronicle, 17 August 1948, Page 6

J-Force Men Spurn Offer Of Help From R.S.A. Headquarters

(P.A.) Parliament Bldgs., Aug. 16 No fruitful purpose could be served by the formation of a separate JForce Association and only further division and sectarianism among returned men could result from such a move, declared Mr. Rex. W. Thorstensen, j-Force representative on thz? Dominion executive of the 2nd N.Z. E.F. Association today. He said that after interviewing scores of men just returned from Japan, he felt these Kiwis believed his association had capably represented them in the past and would continue to do so. The rehabilitation problems of JForce would be almost identical with those of their earlier returned comrades of World War II and successful rehabilitation equid not be achieved by minorities acquiring gains or being granted privileges at the expense of others who, through no fault of their own, might have been ineligible lor the same type of service. Mr. Thorstensen cruised that, the majority of J-Force men were fully satisfied that the 2nd N.ZE.F. Association had voiced the opinions of the whole force in its criticism of the R.S.A. offer of assistance in forming a separate organisation. “We do not want R.S.A. assistance. It has come too late,” he said. The feelings ol the R.S.A. veterans were respected, but the younger returned men did not need, and would not accept, any belated charity from that quarter. Every member of the 2nd N.Z.E.F. Association had the highest respect for the R.S.A. president Sir Howard Kippenberger, but. surely his recent expression of regret that a separate body had ever been formed did not square with the R.S A.’s present efforts to divide the ranks still more by forming yet another separate body for J-Force men.