UNIVERSAL TRAINING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 410, 20 January 1909, Page 8

UNIVERSAL TRAINING.

Sirj—Your articles on /thi^, .subject aro particularly ..wclcome, at, avtinie V/lien ■ public Opinion Shows with • regatd to: it.: ,It-. .ihiiy (lje, useful to '- indicate- three ..points,' pf.^ieV l ■ from ;^ n yVpsrsbhs^wiU'; : novd6ubte^ - 9ueshpn at.'tho stage ■ ofo-giving ,?de- : MablePvulslvit'Jlpracticabla?';; JijjiScani'the , Dominion .'afford . to^tfe^st^nt/^^find^ ! unaminity of" opinion among;',.those.' whoso busuigssyt':is;>to 1 that oughfc '; to satisfy, .thoVordjnary. citizen ■ ; ' teaming!. db'hut^"iii.%fip'bi:.Vbecbiniiigi:abs6l'utfi'ly." • necessary; if. wo'.'are •.toVbeKsecure.i v The.or-, dinary citizen .is. not ofton'in a-.position to. form l .his opinion, on this"...point ~;fiom ;his. own and in: de- ; fault of ..these he should .place reliance upon .tho', judgmentfof those .it. is to know. It 'is safe ,'tp':'say \'that'.'th'<£6:i'who. can;'give.:'the"tiirie:'.aud,:find:;,tl)WopportM to jnvestigatefor! themselvesymlkassriredly arrive.at' /;the;';samei ; ::cW :the':vex-. perts: who havo. spoken out. '/• ••,• ; . > ~.Secondly,,is it practicable?/ We■have the dictum of no less: an. authority .than, .the : ..Chief:--Tof-;ith6'^^.Gon€^alv:S£kff.-SfrriEarlia-?: iiieiit; decided-to introduce universal '-training he:-would.;h'ave.'. a-.'scbemßy.iri.': operation: iat : once.,: W© have, further the; published-schemo 'evolved: by tho ;.Wellington. A'rtillery'.Olßcers, , wKioh {-'will, stand'# ..'criticalexamination.': in this .direction, and we' havo? also 'tho.px- . amplosand csperieri'ce pf:qthbrrcountnes re: ; , • Thirdly, ' pan :'the.'Domihion r affpf.di itAiff . in",dealing. '.with;{this : ;p6int,.;'the : 'rvalue : ,* : of; ' yourarticles.' is • ;apparent' ''in ■ clearV dis- : tiAiotlon-" dra\rii-; tion.'.i'n'th«<pne; . stood .'.TCnixersal : Conscription; has ■ M'; l beto v * ed 'by any ■ {'n;pt necessary,,;_arid'th'e.^ riotafford' : itl'.: It.*:is. Tnecefe'sary ?t6!?loplc*'. riot ; only at -the vote .that wpulc! .ho required under .a ..system\ of xUiuvers ijj L Training, but also at tho possibility" of. loss! of earning powerl'of ..men;. While '"<>n^4utyV;,>vhicls J -'loss''''iif. it'"' 'were'marked'/;,would..',:lj'e' matter 'th&iVheayy'Bridget; v Now " that, under-the; jjut--lined, .in,,the. first' place : : would : Itp Y ;*ariy appreciable • eiterit-''over. thoVpi-lsent'' i'experi- ! ditrire;': and;! Universal"\Trim- ! ing : can; be;:intrpduc<s ; ' wi%,tbß a o^nai7;li^^iQf l ']ii^oqr^ r ..'^ l i c j n 'z the' oarriing.'pdwer/'of'4'.sirigl'o. mari. -To mv ■' [ mind, "it .is'.'inbst- ;desirablfe'tliat tjiid last s^W,^®.;; I i ' .the -publ.ip and '« sions j ' uiitil tbis is . done'it will not be possiblo, to bring bpme'to'jpeople the'fact that' I Universal;: Tfaining -is not going; to restrict ' their breaawmning capacity, and is not going t6^6yelor^t6l-C6»itiiiimibal-tMilitafe or anything allied to it. When the truth ot' this. : is ; recognised .'■■ the', frothy-eloquence' 1 'of-'demagogues about'.the'.liberty of the sub- f i o ®j l '^®4'- , -:tJi® : '< ff eatidn/f' , bfr' ; a'';''niilitarT:.'cast , o * will cease to lead thinking persons astrav 1 —I am, etc., Vy \ January 15. - INTERESTED. c