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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 17, No. 18. September 3, 1953

Joynt Scroll Debate

Joynt Scroll Debate

"That compulsory military train-should be abolished." Cruden of Victoria "rose before us" to open the affirmative case. Their attitude was not one of support for pacifism, but rather that given modern warfare C.M.T. did nothing to prevent war and little to help defence. Citing the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance, the situation in 1938 and that of today, he attempted to show that the rise of two armed camps did nothing to prevent hostilities but rather hastened the outbreak of open war. "The atomic bomb has outmoded conscription." A comparatively large French standing army was effectively overcome during the last war by a few hundred German tanks. Could New Zealand's conscript force repel atomic invasion?

C.M.T. he argued destroyed self discipline. The essence of the freedom which we are attempting to defend is freedom of choice: C.M.T. engenders blind loyalty and excludes the higher loyalties to truth and goodness. As well as being economically unsound it destroys individuality and provides a government with a tool against its own people—in short it engenders totalitarianism, encourages hatred, and fosters a disregard of the scanctity of life.

He spoke in a clear style, with a peculiarly accentuated and rather clipped diction. After an initial attempt at humour and a tendency to waggle a finger at his audience he settled into a good speech without gestures and exhibiting an easy flow of thought.

Whitta who then continued the attack for Victoria gave us the first surprise of the evening—an unpleasant surprise for those who had left their hankies at home His description—with a catch in his voice—of the "poor boys" in ramp, and the dire results there met with almost brought his audience to tears (?).

He did make one or two sounder points, however. Do we really believe that the state ran take, life? Are we Justified in spending £40m each year on C.M.T.? Can we call a referendum passed on mob hysteria democratic? Could we ever defend New Zealand's coastline? Will foot-aloggera be of any use in a future scientific war?

He then attempted to argue that New Zealand has led the world in some social reforms—without examples however we must presume that he was talking of our "penny-postage" or our abolition of white slave traffic—or perhaps he was Just thinking of our prison system.

The last point from this speaker, who had he discarded the sob stuff and developed a stronger voice would have created a more favourable impression, was that no youth of 18 years could be expected to have either a sufficiently developed social conscience or the moral courage to declare himself, if he so thought fit, as a conscientious objector.

Victoria's finale was more in keeping with that university's usual style although we welcomed the absence of the accustomed speed and objectionable "audience hammering" we have met with in the past. Cruden's opening sentence—obviously prepared—was a masterpiece of prose. Then declaring that C.M.T. took all initiative from the trainees, and that coming as it did before the last elections was little more than a political expedient, he carried his hearers to an exciting finish, which although grossly exceeding the time limit was good indeed.

The Judges decision in favour of Canterbury came as a surprise for Cruden had held his audience and impressed them with good argument. Canterburys success hers is definitely to be attributed to good team work by Lament and Thachwell.

The Result

Making the nineteenth speech of the evening the Judges pointed out that independently they had reached the same conclusion in each of the debates, and in declaring the Otago team the winners of the Joynt Scroll for 1953. They further declared Blackwood to be the best speaker in the contest; and this for the third year in succession—congratulations to you: and also to O'Connor, Chamley and McLeod for their excellent performances.

N.Z.U.S.N.A.