MEETING AT KELBURNE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 526, 5 June 1909, Page 7

MEETING AT KELBURNE.

: Thero was aa attendance of about twenty at the meeting ,m favour of universal military_training, held last night at tho Church ot England Schoolroom 'at Xelbume. ■ Mr J. P. Campbell occupied tho chair. The quostion of defence,.ho said, was second to nono.m importance at the present day. Germany was, in severe naval competition with JJntain,and the former's alliance'with Austria might, now that Austria was .launching out strongly in naval affairs, have the etiect of. .withdrawing our local squadron.' Bometlung radical would therefore : have to bo done with oar land defences. > <inu ? t il n - J " S '. moved as foilows:— ilhat this meeting considers • that, notwithstanding the enthusiasm of-the volunteers the voluntary system does not provide, adequate means of defence, and therefore asks the Government to introduce a system of universal military training of the young men." He said he was of opinion that discipline, of ■ itself, was a splendid thing, and would under the proposed system have the. effect' of improving tho whole national life, owing to the large amount of vim it would create. Though personally of opinion that war.was not imminent, jthere could be no doubt that now was-the' time to make ready; -To postpone preparation would be fatal. The Rev. W..J. Comrio seconded the mt>tion. , Ho said he regretted that the publio needed rousing in such a matter. He himself .thought that the rapid awakening of China;was a matter for grave consideration, and must of itself compel us to look to our home defences. It was said by some that wo had nothing to defends We had at least a fair land, and, more than that, we had the priceless heritage of our freedom, for which so much had been sacrificed.

The resolution was carried unanimously and a vote''of thanks to the National Defence League for its pioneer work in defence matters was also passed.