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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 12, No. 9. August 10th 1949

Victoria Stands by Peace and WFDY

page 8

Victoria Stands by Peace and WFDY

At a Special General Meeting of the Students' Association on Tuesday, July 26, 1949, there was yet another demonstration of Victoria College's determination to work for peace and international friendship. Amid a clash of opinion that was often intense, the forces of isolationism, under the bankrupt leadership of the Charter Society, endured three outstanding defeats. Victoria has affirmed its faith in world co-operation through the Paris Congress of Partisans for Peace and the World Federation for Democratic Youth, and also its absolute opposition to conscription and war.

First item on the agenda was the motion from the last Exec. (postponed from the Annual Meeting) that the report of our delegates at the Paris Congress be accepted, and the principle of the Manifesto be endorsed. Mover Evison pointed out the significance of the Congress, which represented 600,000,000 human beings. Its aims were, in essence, those of UNO, worthy of every man's support. VUCSA had been the only New Zealand organisation represented, which was something for us to be proud of.

People Want Peace

"The Congress means, chiefly, that the people of the world have expressed their determination to fight for peace," he said, "not to be led by the nose . . . The causes of war—avarice, the desire to oppress peoples for selfish ends—are still with us. But so are the causes of peace, and one of those causes was this Congress. It displayed that the people are strong enough to stop war."

Mr. Goddard seconded the motion admitting that the report was frankly political in parts, just as the question of preserving the peace is. He pointed out the widely diverse and representative personnel of the delegations—the mention of VUC graduate John Platts-Mills, M.P., being greeted with a furore of mingled hysteria and applause.

Raising the curtain for the opposition. Mr. Curtin said the report (1) was not logical. (2) was not rational, and (3) did not mean anything. He illustrated by demonstrating, at painful length, his own lack of common sense.

So Do We

"Are you for peace or against it?" was Mrs. Garrett's pointed way of putting the issue. The Communist "Peace Menace" seemed to her inconsistent with the Communist "War Menace" talked about by Mr. Fraser. We shouldn't be frightened away from a thing because it meant sharing a bed with Communism.

"The report is (1) not lucid. (2) not accurate, and (3) not direct," snorted Mr. Hogg. It couldn't hold water as a legal document. Mr. Cotton claimed that "these Communists believe in Civil War—as in China—but in peace when they would lose by war."

Mr. Cook claimed that the question "Peace or War" was unanswerable, like "have you stopped beating your wife?" Mr. Hardle-Boys (a chip off the old block) became very heated in his denunciation of this "Communist peace". "I want the peace of the world" ("great big Peace!" "Peace on you"—interjections.)

Mr. Piper quoted the bitterness of Colonial Delegates in Paris, drawing attention to the fact that there was already war in the world—in Indo China, Malaya, Greece—and the fight for Peace had assumed more real shape in these countries. Mr. Connor shouted "Reds! Reds!" for some time in different keys, and Mr. E. Bobinson gave a very sane summary of the Manifesto as "A plain statement that the people want Peace. So do we." These sentiments were echoed by Mr. Milburn.

And Vote Accordingly

Mr. Evison, summing up before the vote was taken, crushed the alternatively bumble-footed and hairsplitting arguments of his opponents. To criticisms of the Manifesto and Report on grounds of their being "emotional" he answered "the question of war or peace is something people get emotional about, and so they should."

"We have enough breadth of vision," he continued, "to realise how many shades of opinion there are in the world, and that none is exclusive in the battle for Peace . . . As for "interminable applause', the people who want Peace are always willing to applaud a concrete demonstration of determination to fight for Peace, and their applause can have no termination."

The motion was put and carried by 57 votes to 33.

Money

A motion to raise the Asociation's annual subscription, moved by Mr. A. Wilson, and seconded by Mr. Cotton, led to some heated discussion on the desirability of making membership to affiliated clubs subject to subscription. The matter was finally referred to the finance committee.

That Man Again

Not content with the rebuff received by his attack on WFDY at the Annual Meeting, Mr. V. Henderson once again launched a frontal attack on that organisation.

"Um—er—Mr. Chairman," he began. (Pause.) "In Budapest in Auckland. I mean August . . ." He continued with an attack on VUC delegates to the WFDY festival at above time and place—to wit Ron Smith. Jim Hollyman, and Stew Scoones.

"I know these jokers." he said, "and their views wouldn't represent one-tenth of the members of this Association." Accordingly he moved that "This meeting frame a policy for our delegates at the WFDY festival." Mr. J. Hogg seconded.

Mr. Piper agreed to the motion, but asked if anyone had any concrete suggestion. Mr. Connor abused the festival as a "Communist Youth Rally". Mr. Evlson said there was no intention to foist the views of individuals on the Association, and Mr. Goddard moved an amendment, "That the policy be (1) support for the alms of WFDY, and (2) all previous official expressions or this Association's opinion." The amendment and motion were then carried.

Windy Winding Up

A touch of humour was added to the meeting by Mr. R. McDonald, who moved the Association's dissolution—"It is top-heavy and inefficient. The only way to cut the Gordian Knot is to dissolve it."

Mr. Jennings, seconding, asked some questions about the "Balls Of the Tennis Club" (interjector—"What about mixed doubles?"). He also suggested that the congestion on the Association's telephone could be relieved by levying a penny for a three-minute session. (Uproar.) He therefore thought the Association should be wound up. ("And the speaker wound down"

—interjector.)

The motion was put and lost.

Money Again

"That this Association protests against the use of Public Funds for the pumping of one side in the Conscription Referendum" was the gist of a motion moved by Mr. Evison, and second by Mr. Milburn. The former pointed out that it was no referendum when the Government spent people's money on telling them how to vote.

Attacks were made on the Association's policy towards Conscription. Mr. Cook moved an amendment, to the effect that Conscription should have been introduced without a referendum (lost) and Mr. Reld moved an amendment that we disagreed with any public moneys being used in "Sectional Interests". Mr. Cohen showed that this would prevent the Association from subsidising clubs, and the amendment was lost, and the motion, then passed.