Thomas began by saying that C.M.T. Should only be suffered at a time of crisis. Peacetime conscription was a repudiation of the ideas of Liberalism which believes men to be free.

Blackwood, a well-reasoned and most interesting speaker, said that the Greeks, from whom we have much of what is best in our society, thought defence of the State part of one's education. He stressed the use of C.M.T. as part of a need for general preparedness, as a force for internal security, and as a contribution towards our international obligations. ("So Sid can nip cocktails on an equal footing with the president of the U.S." as someone commented later.)

Hebenton suggested that the world situation had changed, that today there is no crisis, and anyhow atomic warfare has made our training schema antiquated and useless. Last of the set speakers, Larsen, extolled the "by-products" of the scheme—discipline, comradeship, and so on.

Many speakers but . . .

A large number of speakers from the floor followed. Some had a positive contribution to make. Someone (I forget who) exploded Thomas' "liberalism" ideas as bunkum. Wood suggested aid to underdeveloped countries as a means of preventing future war at the source, and Miss Blakelock said that when a country has accepted the need for military training it has also decided the idea of the inevitability of war.

Whitta said that those who suggested change in the present set-up were off the track, because to change is not to abolish, and Piper said why have C.M.T. when we've got such an "outstanding police force,"

The most complete statement of the views of the affirmative came from MacNeill. SEATO is of doubtful compatability with the UN; young men have been known to be brutalized or politically indoctrinated in the army. We could use the money better other ways, warfare means atomic warfare, and this training will be useless, and man is not naturally pugnacious as some have said.

.... Some omissions

Some things were not mentioned. No Christian speaker for the negative attempted to explain away his attitude in the face, of Christ's straightforward statement In the Sermon on the Mount on the subject. And speakers were quite happy to accept that man is naturally bellicose "because there have always been wars," forgetting that the word '"war" has not always meant the same thing throughout history.

And the motion was lost. It is a very strange. . . .