NATIONAL DEFENCE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 624, 29 September 1909, Page 5

NATIONAL DEFENCE.

$ RETURNED OFFICER'S VIEWS. HOW THE . SWISS SYSTEM WORKS. . (l)y. Toiecraph.- Spcelnl Corrospooflout.) . ■ / Christc'nurcli,. September 27. ■ Major G. 11.-' Hu ttori, D.510., of the Royal Engineers, who hiis .returned .to Christcliurch after.:a ; residcnce .of-, many .years ,-iri. England and other countries, states, that the schemo for. 'establishing a ''Territorial -Army in : tho United ■Kingdom is attracting remarkable, attention from all.who aro interested in military affairs. The mon.are entering into the proposals in tho propor spirit. ; One. of thV . principal reconi-: mendations of 1 tl>e goherno" apparently is "that the Territorial .'officers should be - given .: the same.status, regular ,officers .and .have .full official.' and legal recognition of 'their; titles the same .as officers of all Imperial'.regiment. The lack of this, apparently, was onij of. the weakncsses'df the . volunteer, system ,at Home. The remtoriiils arid the Regulars will go through- their manoeuihres arid' ericarapments together,' working; side. by. side, riot separately, as. in the . case of'the volunteers, and this Major. :Hutton thinks, ; ,will: help to break., down prejudices, and' ta. bring the .two armies into closo association. ■ Tho' idea of having local officers' in command of local. mon in, the sTerritorial Army seems to, meet with favour, .. •Major Hutton is , very strongly.- of . opinion that a system' of Compulsory service or. compulsory training should bo, established in New Zealand/' - He/.points ■' out that /.it/.is much cosier, to bejjin-it now whon' theVcoujatry -is "young than, later .'on, when a larger population and' larger iritorests .will. bo'.: affected.- He is/convinced', that. it must,, come some 'time, and-.he .says /the.,sooner it:is- established:tho' better: from all points .of' ..view... -'last jepr tlio. British committee. of. inquiry . which' was sent .-to Switzerland , by . the -National ;Ser-', Vice leagiio published va' summary. ,of /the results .of,.its ..irivestigations'in ,a; pamphlet.entitled' "A .Territorial Array/li\ Being." Major Ifutton feels that this. publication should be' read/by. everybody who. is interested in .tjib 'country's':.welfare.' - .It' shows, that / tho.•'sol? diors' themselves seem to be thoroughly : contented with the work 'they are doing. They enjoy; the opportunity- afforded • for v a term iof bpen-air - life, 'and: in-.:.a11. • rants' '-there ,'is 'a spirit,-of : keenness ■'arid; enthusiasm.. The vilf lagers upon whom .the soldiers are billeted rei coiyo .thorn - willingly .'arid .treat > them: .well; Tli'o crowds that follow the manoeuvres,; often at, great .personal -/inconvenience, are • compared ;to the'/crowds* that .watch football/and cricket matches iu tho' British- Empire. .■-:,Ond, ■of i..tho• most 'striking .features of . the Swiss Territorial Army, is'.. tho "fact that although . there. is practically no; leisured class in j.Siritzerlnnd,. tfiero aro in 'the .'organisation .libbut ,44.000,.0, racers arid/ nou-cominissioned officers,all of; whom;. may be/said to/havo- voluriteereii their :setrices, although,: .as:matter -.of-law,/'.no, man 'can refusn - non-com in isMoned rank. -Tho '".morale," that; has,..been estab-~: lished -is very .marked., 'Kvcry. Swiss, boy is (aught - tne. rights' and. liberties 'that 1 belong to.'hiin: as ;a r Swiss/and/as. a citizen'of'a.free .republic,'/but - he: is. also s taught... that ../these "rights; , and .. liberties, aro / balanced '-by.public duties.] i'The. military '..institutions'; of "Switzerland, ip'.-fact, :ai'e .regarded. as ~tho foundations'of.democracy,arid schools,of .iriati•liricss,,.;civio'/virtue, self-sacrifiCeJ'/arid- faithful;! duty. '/' 'v'.'l A DEEPER QUESTION. v SERMON" BY BISHOP JULIUS. \. ' V (Dj TeloErnDh.-I'rrin Agsnclatlnn l ",'y. /. i;. ...• Chrlstchui'ch, :Septembor. Zli-.fi '/ Preaching at. the Cathedral Ja'st night, Bishop Julius -referred to the . question of national defence.' 'In tho . course/ of his . remarks,. hesaid •he ■. believed that,..every,iyourig ■ nian:. in the country,, should/ be trained,; and';ho\felt that Nejv,>'Zealand.,'iyas 'sjniply ',playing '/.with..';■ thq.' question of national-. defence.'/, Thero ; .re'-' mriined a'deeper .gustion,/arid-that'was:."What' is, Rafter / nil .- our" defence ?'■' "It' did.-.-riot lio in -irien, : big.' jniris,'.; anil, ■p'rcparations for* ■war.',■'•lt|Jay far,dcopor. than/all ;,that. ./The" history .and the'fortunes of nation's jrcro/always: dependent./upon;'. thei..cha'ra'ctofif/; peoples,; linperial; ..Home:,' fell- 'becaUse/.'.she'./becanio' lu'iurious., : Her.'peo'ple^cr.o,given' over to:ea's'e, arid , .they./would , inako; no- sacriftc'es./fpr .t.tKo Country "they:, no longer loved.") Thb'.'phemy.caihe 'over'her .borders,; and,lmperial.'Romb yras sub-/ ject to 'SC'ini-barK'arians.-who'.jetiha'd-.thb seed; of moral, worth . and: righteousness withiritthem'.: ■ /'New -Zealand' was .somewhat like a' precocious, and. sppile'd- child who Jiad'jbeea.brought-up as' "she likedi,./As soori i she: was .distinctly,,ploascd:^irith;;lierself,-.arid/ was. alwayS/ready:tO'teach her:mother'.There;'were dangers:'-;attaching - to.i prec.'ocily:..pf ,Th'e.v^v.ere. apt to .supposp,..liko many.{prococious r cbililreri,' '-,thnt they,,- ..'could .' dispense ..vrfth', foundations of life;', arid;that:their/ wits wopld ■ save,,-them,"icherishiriß/'con tempi; ";for.v: slower: mothods/'by whicli other riatipiis' liad; attained to i.fariie':.and. .p'pwer.' ■■•'•Thero ".w.ere'/dangers: iti' "that/,. They, were! then apt to'.forgetiwhat were' : the/true; conditioiis of-national, defence; -lay,deep in the moral'qualities and. worth' of ;a people/ -,God. only know..what., tho', future-of.: ,New .Zoala'nd .was ,to be.. /IIad. : Ho: pose /for'her,?—a piaco among . the: .nations?. ■ Wna' she to be a-Dominion, indeed, fulfilling to some extent at least soriio.purpose of.His in the world?/ /It didvnat dopend/on history,,^,tho skill or-'wisdomof i statcsuien, /but ./ori-.moral• , worth/ . Their moral/ .worth, as ,a. "nation:, de- . perided-Minon " their.i'spirltual jifq;-:-No ' nation out' of 1 wbjch/.relipoi\"as > tnoraV'.force. had; died wis holding .its own to-day.' : iNow : 'Zealand; : might.ha^e.,grown : np 'quickly ./enongli; airid. 'be; precocious' enough/l.but.Kif-'.'she;Kad.-no ..strong, religious forco' ehb.wouldvdie in.her teens/' She would not:bo'worth..prcserving... '"/ ,: . ' , ":/. ■' Ho for'. oiio, v .,how'evor,'/had ;-no. fear»for , the; future,of this-country. VNd-.Germans:ot '.Tanan- ' .need /nlarhi thein 'provided/ Now.. : Zcal?nd. reqojmiseiV that God had mado Ker, had brought , • her /into bain}.',... and - had - a purpose i.ri. her.-. Jf; ; sho wonld' only/grpnrid,'her.,strength',and'lifo upon/'Him /they .not despair, not • loPk t.o / this side' 1 or.', to': .the;other'.so'.Jons: as New Zealand/proved ...true to: hersolf. and true, to'.God, and taught' ho'r in'anlibodvto, stand; up - ind fmht ..for 'hor . arid ;-to/ Jj'e", brave.The. moral .qualities: of purity,/truth,/arid /diligence m'ade/natioTis 1 'great,in the' service of, God arid '■ of ',th , o :world.-/True.religion:.lay,'at the root, of. national deience; : //■/•./,"";/ •

, another bishop's viEvys. . In his address 'at ,'tho"Church..parjde' on •Doriiinion: Bay, ■ tho Anglican Bishop of Auok;lnnd (Dr. Pelican) referred to ..tho .Imperial Defonce. Coiiforence,. and stated,.thatvwhatever plans ,wero v dually :affrecd upon\for ; i thq'/iinitcd defencc of the 'Empire', is. .bound because ;ho is a Bnhsh subject.to bear 'arms /(if aecesgary)'-for,:thb British;flag.'':-,-;- .V--..;;