ITCHENER'S REPORT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 764, 12 March 1910, Page 5

ITCHENER'S REPORT.

VIEWS OF COLONEL PORTER. QUESTION OF POLITICAL CONTROL. (By Telegraph.—Soccial Correspondent.l Christch'iirch, March 11. Colonel Porter, C.13., who is at present visiting Cliristchurch, expressed the opinion to an interviewer who waited on him regarding Lord Kitchener's report that an Imperial commandant,. perhaps a general of high standing, should be appointed in the Dominion for the first few years of the reorganisation at' any rate, He admits that there has been a prejudice in that'respect in .the past, out he urges that it would bo a distinct advantage to have at the head of the forccs a man of wide experience and undoubted ability, in whom everybody would have complete ! confidence. Ho speaks as a colonial officer, and he says that the commandant should havo an experience which does not fall in the way of officers trained in the colonics. Colonel Porter says that his knowledge of New-Zealand men under military command leads him to believe that there ■trill be very little trouble in putting into operation the compulsory training clause" of the .scheme. He thinks, that it will bo very much like dealing with the military forces in the early days. There will bo men who will resent tho discipline and the efforts of those in command, ..but their influence will not attend very far.' The whole thing, however, he adds, will call for very delicate, tactful, and careful handling, and the typical old military officer of the pipe-clay, martinet stamp will have to bo as little in evidence as possible. On the whole, he thinks that both the territorial army and the military training camps will become very popular, and will soon be accepted as national institutions, One part of Lord Kitchener's report, which says "a citizen force should be kept outside party politics," is taken as a suggestion that military affairs should not bo nnder the control of the citizens' representatives. Several members of Parliament who discussed the subject in conversition yesterday said that they wopld use all their influence to-pre-vent the supreme control being placed in the hands of miljthry authorities, it was a principle, they said, , which would not be tolerated in'a. democratic country, and which they were certain would load to many abuses, and would create much illfeeling. They felt that any attempt to introduce that , kind of .militarism in New Zealand would meet with utter failure. On . this point, however, there is a good deal of difference of opinion. One member said that he does not. hold a strong opinion, and that he is not. satisfied -with the wlibcal control of the uast, and a member .of the Legislative Council says ;Jhat non-political control is -essential to' too scheme's success.