AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 105, 27 January 1908, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE.

DEFENCE MINISTER SPEAKS OUT.

ALLIANCE MTH AMERICA ESSENTIAL. 1 ■Mr. Ewing,'the. Commonwealth Minister for ! Defence, speaking at Lismore, N.S.W. last week on the subject .of- Australian defence, 1 said .that Mr v Deakin's .recently, .announced scheme had been subject, to some Press misrepresentation. \What Mr.: Deakin had given in his speech was i only .the skeleton or essence of the scheme, and before it became law many details would bo altered. Tho essence of the scheme was that it was the duty ,of every man to do ,his part for tho dofence, of Australia. ..To defend such a* vast territory as Australia, where we had a population, of onlj[ four millions, was a big contract. Still, it'was .timo to stop talking and ■ do something; and that was what tho Government was going to try to do, or Parlia- • ment could get another Government to undertake tho country's business. The danger, Mr. Ewing continued, lay outsido Australia,.and faster means' of travelling brought it nearer. There wero five hundred million people not far from us of antagonistic ideas, origin and religion. Some people said danger - would not como in our lives, but in our time Japan had. from obscurity become »n . important Power. They might as well try to stop fcho invasion of ticks by~ legisla- , tion, without dips, as try to-keep out aliens oy legislation unless they had power, behind thorn. Making a comparison of this wealthy district for defonco, ho said ho did not desiro 'o find fault with what lias done, which was' good as far as it wont. But within 10 miles tf Lismore, a wealthy district of 10,000 people, what was their force?— Australian! Horse, Scottish Rifles, Cadets, rifle clubsj Compared with the number of people they had. none in Australia worthy of the name, having only 15,000 men, with training and equipment to hold Australia. It wa3 found impossible to keep up Voluntoors who, if they not liko what an officer said or directed, resigned. Prom what ho knew, it was impossiblo to go on liko that. Voluntteers cost £6 per annum,'militiamen £17. If they tried to make all militia, the cost would bo two millions yearly, .and tho country would be submerged by tho expense. Tho scheme was to get a three years', service, and there wolud be a now force every three years. One difficulty was' obtaining officers. It was necessary to have a smallarms factory, and also a manufactory for cordite. Ho hopod in a few years they would bo able to make alj thoy required.. Tho difficulty had existed in getting suitable artillery ranges, but one would bo, secured for each State. _ Quoting the opinion of Lord Roberts, Mr. Ewing said that many of the ablest loaders of the British Army agreed with him on' tho desirability, of compulsory service. Personally he-had no'doubt-about the expediency of it. It would be alnibst impossible for white, men to hold Australia unless thoy had allio3, but to get them they must deserve, them. Tho two most important things in this respect in' rwont years was tho settling at the Philippines of America, and the practical completion of the Panama Canal. Boforo the Northern Asiatics could get to us they would have to pass tho Americans at the Philippines. These were the'white men's frontiers. Amorica, in a few years, would be able to take its fi'no fleet through from the Atlantic to tho Pacific; and that nation, with the second fleet in 'the world, must ho our allies. They were of the same blood, origin, ' v and language, and; dare' not lot tho yellow raoes tako i Australia and New Zealand. If thoy did, in a few years there would be not four millions hero, but four hundred millions, and afterwards, God help, the white men of America. We must keep Australia white, and to do that wo needed assistance from alj tho whito races. To got that assistance, wo should show ourselves worthy of it. Wo must improve our defonco, and put brains and patriotism behind it. If the Government could not do its share it must mako way for another. Mr. Ewing was cheered throughout his address, and at tho conclusion it was resolved that tho meeting highly approved of the Government schemo of compulsory training.