EMPIRE DEFENCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 620, 24 September 1909, Page 5

EMPIRE DEFENCE.

AUSTRALIAN BILL PRAISE P ROM BRITISH JOURNALS. ' SHIPS AND, MEN. (Dy ,Telcßroph.-Proa» ABnocletlon.-CooyrltM.l London, September 22. All the newspa-pers givo much prominence to the details of the Commonwealth Defence Bill. ' '■ .~■'. ■ ... :'■'.. •-. Liberal view: Nationalism with Imperial. ■ ■ . Co-operation. ■'■ , The "Chroiiiclo" heads its leader with tho Hon. Joseph Cook's •'phraso: "Australia should: be a Buttress, not a Burden." The article continues:—' V

"Imperial defence has hitherto been occasional, spasmodic, and unorganised. A now eh has, been inaugurated, -whiclrwill make tho year 1909 momorablo in tho annals of the Empire. The Australian Government deserves all credit for tho practical shape it has giveji : to tho people's patriotic sentiments. The reception of tho, compulsory bo watched with; lively interest.

■' "Tho' challenge to tho supremacy of the British Navy which Ministers disclosed to tht- country elicited a spontaneous outburst of colonial zeal. Tho Defence Conference has been the means of giving it shape, substance, and permanence. Tho, .Australian scheme happHy combines.the principle' of nationalism ,wiih Imperial co-operation."> : . ■•'•..- An Army and Thirteen Ships. Tho "Daily Mail" heads its articles,"Every Australian a. Soldier," and "375,000 Men and Thirteen Ships for , the Empire!" .' ;\ ; The -"Pall Mall Gazette, , ' commenting on the Australian Defence Bill; warmly praises tho Commonwealth for sotting an, example which tho Motherland might;to follow. Compulsion under ,tW Bill Is wisely limited at thfr outsetto thickly-populated' areas. •■ ■'■

"The scheme," adds the "Gazette," "adds two, new factors " to. tho international' situation—a; fleet which-materially' :affects tho balance o'f/power in tho Pacific, and an army - which not eyeiuthe greatest military Powers am .-regard as.'a negligible quantity." '.]'. t • /The. ''Evening Standard";says,the scheme sets avpaco which allcan follow. It expresses a newer and better understanding. which."*is destined to. render the. Empire a true, tremendous hegemony; \ .■ : : >' . ;..'..' '. .

■'■ • The. '/Standard , ? ■- states that, the import-: a-nco of tno proceedings of tie Imperial Defence Cohforeneo to. tho Empire may bo mea--Eured; by -its.fruits; It : :empha;>ises the importance; of coinpulsory' naval,, as well- as "military, service. 1 .-.-,_■ •. : •■ •■ ■ .: :''.-.■ ' . ■ . . NftVAL OOLUEOE AND TRAININQ ..;■ ' r>:'./-:■ 'J,': FARM. ■.•.■;;■.■■■:.■'■"•,.■. : . 1 ../'>:•• ' : DREADNOUGHT .FUND DIVERSION.C't ''■ --..;.:, ; ; ; ; : Sydney, : September 23; V; ;The.Lord Bch'ehid r, .for utilising;the Dreadnought;fund iri'tho , erection of !a nayai college , aiid. the 'establishment■,'of training farms.for English,b'oys in Australia has-been-adoptcd.by'tho-coii'tributors.'.v, / i :i: ;}[ v' : ;' ')'■ ' (Bj .TclecraDJii-l'rce., iinnclation.l ( •'.- : , : -i'i .■,:'' ''-^Auoklan'd;..'Soptember. ! 23.-' ■;.-..The, opinioh.of, Lieut-.ColbrieMV. D, Holgate : a,, prominent Auokland' volunteer:, officer, , onthe. qiiestion of Dqminipu defenco ■ is that iumvei-sal- training,.,)* .the oiily -cpurso; to--be adopted. . I have com* .to that conclusion," ■ l l?.'i. s . a W' , f 0 :!!?? , '', <!"er.eleven'ycr.rs' cxperien.ee 'M'-y ( ol u?t«eriiig,in .New-Zealand, .two -vears , in' .in U fEn a gi a nd?" Mm °-- th . . s >Wiering :^ s^ d ,Vh'etherhfl- cousidered' universal 'infc' lflg to be feasible, and as to, how the system Sr M > ou ßhL:into: : .vogue, I 'Colonel Hoif a -i.? a -? -f considorcd.iit.'to be ' absolutely feasible, 'and 'moreover «ipressed.',the, opinion that the,vQov«rnment coufd, have tho system in .a modified form jnthout-opposition -at any I * s ; wished. ,- He-did.- not advocate, tho hwiss system, but,would.commence by making t cbnjpulsory -for every. physically, fit youtl. to .serve or to -put in a certain amount of "'» "ft 11 ; , " , «7?'21 years old; ' His reas'on' y,W that , ngc-lmut was that, it would bo possible .to. get what was wanted uP'to that •■■Onoe-meiv,wfro; old '■ enough'" tb'!.be-'eri-titlrf to:,vote ,he. feared, that; a good'many would exercise it in the direction b o f' making : tho-.other.fellw" (tho minor) serve and esempting. themselves. ■-•'•■'■ , ..-.■,:. , : Ho. believed jn' the iadct.'system) up ' to : a certain point, but not on the lines now' practised. ; He considered it a"'mistalto,-.to.com:-menco with a boy too young. 1 , ■ The age of •13 wasvearly enpughi and .then, a lad' should only bo, taught discipline, musketry,", and company and physical;dnll.;-;.Under the.prosent system boys• .werer given a ; smattering; of;'everything,' even to-the'■ extent.of takinfr-.them; to camp!' This had a tendency to make : boys imagine they knew?all .there ,was .to know,, with.'the i result hat very few who liad. been cadets wined the volunteers, All .hoys.from .13 to 17' should be trained :by the Education Department, which.would moan' that all- teachers-in public or private, schools would 'here to pass examinations as instructors.to qualify them as .schoolmasters. <;•,{..;' •,•.:/-

•Under this, systaa the boy who left school.at •rtf ea K°^ s «; o »W continue to be trained with.his battalion ,by the school'staff until -ho was.l 7. , At the. latter aso. ail youths would, bo. handed over to'the Defence D*partriient, and would continue to bo trained »l more advanced work nntil:they were: 21. ' They, could th « n ■■' J *;.r«t on, thoi unattached reserve forco and still ,be hablo to be called' upon at any time the Government thought ''fit, 'cither for drill, or for service. ~;■'. ■■: