NATIONAL DEFENCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 486, 20 April 1909, Page 6

NATIONAL DEFENCE.

COMPULSORY MILITARY TRAINING.

CONFLICTING RESOLUTIONS. Tho growth of publio opinion; in favour o* > -ft system of compulsory military training as ■ . £ .preparation for tho defenco pf : the - : s - ■ -'ion baa been- one of tho .most striking cir- >.<:■, cumstancea of vecont years. Trades and »', labour oouncils, fanners' unions,' chambers : : of commerce,have at .various.;times within v tho ■ last twelve: months signified, by-resolu-tions, their'approval of tho principlo in- • volved j" Parliamentary 1-.candidates/ liavo fre- ; • ■ qnently • discussed' the, ideaj Jwhile . the Prime . - - Miniator liimself cannot escape from the • • adoption of at least a-part of, tho principle, if his now "schomo of defenco is constructed S on tho lines of his Upper Hutt spfiech.^lho latest expressions of opinion .'on tho subject ; f : were 'delivered at a prelitninaiy, meeting .01 ■'■■■>■ ■ local' citizens held yesterday afternoon in ■• ' the Council Chamber, Town Hall, to arrange for a mass mooting of citizens of Welling-" ' ton, to bo held in tho Town, Hall on a date to bo fixed, for the purpose of. fully dis- /, v cussing the whole question. The , gathering ■ -- '. was a very ■ representative one,: V including v'.-;' commercial men, clergymen,teachers, and manufacturers.' . . Mr. J. P. Luko. M.P., presided, and m • tho course of -his. introductory. I. remarks stated that he was at one with those, who ; - advocated the strengthening; of tho deienco forces "to: the end that .tho 01 the and of tho Empire, would..po maintained*.- He was . not prepared to go the lengtb of some: people on the question, but -■ '■ ho certainly thought that something better and more efficient than the. present system urgently, needed, and tho, action of tho citizens of "Wellington in tljo matter should strengthen the hand of the Prime Minister in drafting the principles of -his now sclieme of defenco, , H&' thought .that'an effort ghould bo inado ■to h'nduco' Lord Charles, Beresford, when jie visited Australia, to exv: 1 : tend ■■ bis, visit to < New; Zealand:, the sound ; ■>■ experience and iripe judgment', of . that naval .'■■■■.■ expert-would, he.thought, be of;infinite ser'vice to tho oountry at this, juncture.; A Resolution. ' 1 1 The,' Hon. R. A. Loughnan then moved: '■ That:,this meeting.resolves .itself.,into .- a committee - to -assist-.tho . De- „. fence League in holding a public meeting ,of tho citizens of 'Wellington to urge the Government to institute a system of (Universal military training, that the executive of tho National Defence League be requested to make all art xangements',for, and take charge ofj the proposed public meeting, that the Navy League Executive bo invited' to publicly co-operate if the constitution of the League will permit.

The motion was seconded by Mr. E Beaton. _ ' , Speaking to the motion, the mover, ob- ] t .■> eerved - that the -occasion' was:: not v-the. ■ first, upon which he had publicly associated him-1 self with the question of national defence i In a sense, they had already the elements i of compulsion in their present defence sys-1 tem —a large force of militia, on paper. In i an emergency, the militia rolU would be i gone through, and there would be called mto being an army of militia N mcn. But many of these men would be of very * little service. ' (How could they be efficient? They would i ,not know their right foot from their left. What was wanted was a proper system of I training throughout the Dominion. j An Unfair Burden. " I Mr E.'C«»Ejrk, speaking as an ex-volun-teer of over 20 years' service, said that, under th6'volunteer system, tbe bilrden of defence was placed unfairly lipon a section of the community only, and that "mostly i of working men His experience had con-/ vinced ,him that the only system which would ensure the just distribution of theburden ( of defence, was a 1 system of com-: pulsory 'training It wa's an unpatriotic condition of things, and he regretted to have to say it Good work was being dono in the schools, ho advocated a proper system of training m cadet corps for three years after leaving school, after which the mebers of these corps would h'lve arrived at a suitable age for service in the volunteers He also advocated the proper encouragement of riflo clubs, pnd the fostering of rifle shooting as a national sport It was essential that every citizen should know how to handle • 1 j . ■u- rifle, au<2 .understand at loasi ihe element- ■; pry , principles ?of-, military tactics; He, cordr ■Mlj supported the' resolution. (Applaußo.)

Hasten Slowly. ~ -Mr. Galliohan -would, have : preferred to Wait until tho 'Prime Minister had disclosed the details of his new defence scheme. They would"th6h positioh'to-criticise .the. defonco policy, and forward their approval X : or suggested _ amendments accordingly. . } ;. ■ Mr. G. Shirtcliffe ■ said v that he "had come to the conclusion that something bettor was -wanted than tho present • system. Ho r couldn't speak too highly of the vlounteers. , Tho. fact was, however, that fthe volunteers , : represented, a . limited portion.of the people; • there was a. vast body of . men who took no interest in tho defence of tho oountry. 'Ho .was entirely at. one with the principle' of •v' compulsory .training, .which, - while • making .. - for military efficiency on the'one hand,' was, - on the other hand, a fine training physically; this was freely admitted by volunteers i , • . of years of service., He hoped that the de- ■ fence scheme -under consideration; by the - -■.a - Prime Minister would bo on'-some such lines . ; as was being now advocated, < for without , ! .r, compulsion a large percentage of those who • should ccme . forward'. would evade their re;sponsibilities. .They had tho whole of the v,. country-;with them ■in ■ this : lino of. action; . the Chamber of Commerce had discussed tho question., at considerable length, and had unanimously -endorsed , the principle. Their ■ action in .this regard should strengthen the ■ : 'j hands of tho Prime Minister. (ApplausoJ ■ Mr. J. P. Irnko disagreod with Mr.- GalEchan's contention that .'.they.- should, have . deferred action i ponding i the Prime Ministor?.s.'announfcoment •on the subject. The -'••-,.• : Government should bo-made aware of public opinion on the matter beforehand.

"Catch Them Young." Mr. J.'Piper, of Petoney.oontended that the system of compulsion - which inflicted the .'. least inconvenience upon the industrial and commercial life.of the country would.be the ■ - -most successful, and .that being so, he advocated that i they should ''catch them young." . . Mr. W. S. Bedford raised the question of - file interests of the. employers. The chairman stated his private opinion to v be that tho expense involved in the absence of employees ;for purposes, of military training should not fall upon tho employers. - It should bo a tax upon tho country—a special grant by tho Government. ' \ ' v, i : "The Contents of Compulsion. M , i At thia stage .tho Rev. Dr. . Gibb suggested • that .the-meeting ;'should define, its;,position ; ond>formulato:.somo'points of;agreement for ! ;•■ !".-. enbmission .to • ,tho. mass meeting; or, they, would -,havo ■; confusion worse >. confounded, 'with.a. probable repetition of..what .had oc- • curred : recently in Clinstehurch.; Ho was ■ awaro'that there were-several definitions of training, some of which' he did -. not endorse. They waiited to know what > exactly were the contents of compulsion. Wore;!tlioy to have 'the'-German.','/system?. (A Voice: Hear, hear.) vThey should thrash' . - • this. matter thoroughly out. . < - Mr. Le Grove submitted that the sole pur- . 'pose; of (the meeting was .to djsense the -adV ' visableness or; othemki •of holding; a :public i; *' meeting.-of -^citiMM;-en Tte.''details as to tho estabhslfmont of a. compulsory. system of.-:-military--training..'might' well :bo .left. 'to the Government;-. Lot; the-public ihavo a I ;• simple'issue-rcompulsory.. training: or. ; .other-' wise. ' ' 1 - : Mr.'-W; > Watson> said .committee, authorised by resolution to' frame proposals - for' the" faass"meeting - would ';arrange the issues, Training, Not Service. ' Mr,"Shirtchifo 'pointed out that Jcompul- ■ lory ; training-.was not'-to-be ill torpreted to mean, compulsory service.-r tiThe 'two;,were entirely different, i ' . • Mr. J. 'P. Firth * ridiculed tho "bogy of eompulsion," »ad jinoko stronels; '. of the

obligations of citizenship in regard to military, training. Tho movement owed much of its present vitality to'the National Defence League, tho headquarters of whioh body Were at Auckland. Tho Auckland . peoplo were very earnest in their endeavours to eduoate public opinion on tho matter, and had shouldered ■ most of the burdon., of the agitation. . ■ The motion was then put and carried. A Tangled Skein. Mr. Firth then suggested, in a motion, somo practical ' and. financial 00-oporation with tno National Defence League, a, suggestion which raised «omo discussion. Ono or-two speakers disclaimed all knowledge of tho existence of tho League, while ■Lioutenant-Colonel Humo voiced, the opinion I that Wellington should do ■' this thing ' oft 1 jt3 own-bat.''-, Tho motion, which was formI ally seconded by Mr. Tregcar,-who. Explained I that if there was to bo "any scrapping at I tho mass meeting," he would say what iio had to say there, was lost. 1 Mr; S. A. Atkinson explained to those I present the purport; and ramifications o£ the National 1 Defence . League,. and . suggested that as there appeared to bo somo difficulty 1 with co-operation with the League, despite tho motion already resolved upon, 8 committee of three bejippomted to act with the National Defence . League.. ■ The - thread of -the subject became- somewhat ■ tangled •here. It was ultimately decided that a subcommittee, consisting- of Lieutenant-Colonel Hume, and Messrs, - Kirk,. Dalrymplo,- Firth, and Atkinson; co-operate with tho Mayor in making - arrangements - and drafting resolur ti6ns')for j the -mass meeting;. . ~ ; y * On the motion of Mr. Shirtchffe, seconded' by Mr. "Watson,-jun;, tho following resolution was adopted:— ■ - > >' ;That all'gentlemen present-be askod 'to . contribute not more than 2s. 6d. towards • expenses (Is.-of'such sum,being.taken to : bo their subscription to the National.De-i fence League). .

; _ The Navy League. The attitude of/the Navy League on the question was expressed m terms of tho following resolution, read by Mr/C. W Palmer, secretary:— ' The Navy League regrets that for •• ■ technical roasons it is unable to givo V official support to the movement in favour of universal-military training.. It wishes, , howover, to express its sympathy thereA with, andYto'.state that members-of the: : vjExccutivß individiially will be pleased to become members qf a committee to that end shoiild they be requested so to do A resolution was also passed eulogising tho press for its advocacy of tho principle of compulsory training, and with a vote of thanks to tho chair, the proceedings then terminated