EMPIRE DEFENCE

Waikato Times, Volume 117, Issue 19564, 1 May 1935, Page 7

EMPIRE DEFENCE

NEW ZEALAND AND WAR, STATEMENT BY MR FORBES. MR SAVAGE’S STRONG ATTACK. UNKNOWN COMMITMENTS. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Tuesday. Astonishment at the statement attributed to Mr Forbes In a oablegram from Ottawa that he saw no necessity for discussion on Empire defence was expressed by the Leader of the Labour Party, Mr M. J. Savage, In a statement to-day.

No further evidence than this astounding statement was necessary, said Mr Savage, to prove how far the Prime Minister was out of touch with the thinking people of the Dominion. Mr Forbes had said there was no need for discussion as to a policy which might menace the future of the New Zealand people, and might entail another sacrifice of our youth and repeat and. extend the holocaust of 1914-18, and the subsequent chaos, hardship, privation and disorder. The irony and danger of the position was that Mr Forbes was on his way to London, where he would act on a 'committee which would discuss foreign policy defence, peace and war. Mr Forbes would attend that committee after stating that New Zealand only needed to be notified of what Britain proposed to do. “ Our future,” said Mr Savage, “ is bound up with the countries of the British Commonwealth. The Labour Party will strengthen the lies of the nations of the Commonwealth. The Labour Party’s policy, in the present state of the world thought, Is to take whatever steps are necessary to defend the Dominion and its demo'cratic institutions, tout the policy to toe successful implies discussion, negotiation and agreement in which Parliament, as the representative of the people, should have the determining voice. The future of the Dominion and of the British Commonwealth is dependent on the will to peace. This will can be rendered wholly ineffective tf unknown commitments, involving the lives of our people, are to toe made exclusively at the will of men who may not in any way understand the objective and outlook of our people.

“Our youth should not be sacrificed for unknown oauses and unknown polloles, and without reference to the representatives of the people.”

In the cablegram referred to by Mr Savage, dated April 24, Mr "G. W. Forbes, in an interview, was reported as having said that toe saw no necessity for a discussion of Empire defence, or the foreign policy of the United Kingdom. New Zealand was kept informed of the progress of the negotiations with Germany and other European Powers. “When Britain is at war, we are at war,” said Mr Forbes. “No discussion lias taken place in New Zealand as to our participation or non-partici-pation ■in a future war Involving the Empire, which is the greatest agency for peace in the world. New Zealanders are confident that Britain always will be on the side of peace and will make no commitments that are not absolutely necessary. We do not have to discuss those things. If another war broke out I expect New Zealand would act as promptly as she did in 1914. There would toe no necessity to call Parliament together to decide what should toe done.”

JDISCUSSIONS IN LONDON.

WITH DOMINION PREMIERS.

SURVEY OF EUROPEAN EVENTS,

United Press Assn. —Elec. Tel. Copyright.

LONDON, April 29

The Prime Minister, Mr Ramsay MacDonald, invited the Dominion Prime Ministers to tea at the House of Commons on April 30, inaugurating defence discussions. The meeting will be confined to a survey by Mr MacDonald and Sir John Simon of the recent European happenings. The British Government has appointed a Ministerial panel, consisting of Mr Ramsay MacDonald (Prime Minister), 'Mr Stanley Baldwin (Lord President of the Council), Mr Neville Chamberlain (Chancellor of the Exchequer), Mr J. H. Thomas (Secretary of Slate for Dominion Affairs), Sir P. Cunliffc Lister (Secretary of Slate for the Colonies), and Sir Samuel -Iloare (Secretary of Slate for India), for the discussions, and has arranged informal meetings 'throughout the Prime Ministers’ stay, but no formal agenda will be prepared.