DEFENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 869, 16 July 1910, Page 9

DEFENCE NOTES.

THE KING'S CLEMENCY. [By-Echelon.] In connection with the recent proclamation of His Majesty George ¥~ the Imperial Secretary of Stato for.War has. issued the following:— The King has been graciously pleased as an act of clemency on the occasion of his accession to the Throno to approve of the following remission of punislnnrat to. soldiers undergoing sentence in military prisons and detention barracks: Soldiers undergoing detention by sentence of court-martial or by award of commanding officers. Sentences up to 5G days, to. be released; sentences exceeding 5G days,- to be granted a remission .of one-half of the unexpired portion of detention. Men undergoing imprisonment in military prisons' or detention barracks: All men, a remission of one-half, of the unexpired portion of imprisonment. Pardon will also be granted to deserters. The pardon to deserters is extended to men who have— (a) Deserted; . (b) Fraudulently.enlisted, as denned in Section 13, Army Act; . . (c) Absented themselves without leave from the liegular, Auxiliary, or Reserve Forces; (d) Improperly enlisted into the Kegular Forces, Special Reserve, or Territorial Force, whilo serving in : tho Army Reserve, provided that they committed ■ the offence . before the date of-this Army Order,.and surrender themselves without two months 'after that date if at Home,, or .within four mouths if abroad.

Deserters and absentees arc required to report themselves in writing, giving full particulars, to officers in charge of records, or to commanding officers, from whom they will receive instructions. ■ If they.are suffering from any physical dinability which renders them unable to re-, join the Service, they should state so in their letter.

"No prominent American with politi-. cal aspirations has ever presumed" to. advocate compulsory military training," writes Major-General .W. . H.. Carter, TJ.S.A., in the "North' American lieview," "yet there can bs no doubt," he continues, "that the adoption if St.it*laws requiring instruction in t'h*. shuics of citizenship, coupled with service-in.the National' Guard for" at least one year before exercising the right to vote,.would in a few years qualify the rising generations' to better comprehend and rightly value the generous liberty vouchsafed to them by fhiV Republic. In time' of peace no one advocates conscription for tlie Regular Army,' but there has long.prevailed a sincere sentiment that in ihe organisation of its Army for war the Southern Confederacy proceeded upon right lines. It is the only fair way to render a return for the nation's" guarantee of 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That American armies 6f tho'future will be more difficult to discipline than those of the past must be apparent to thoughtful men.who daily witness the decadence of respect of. the rising generation for those in authority. Americans are.warlike when aroused, hut are not a military nation in the sense of submitting to a general and patriotic ' preparation.'. for war. The cult of enthusiasm for the flag, so-widespread-in recent years, .does not contain the fibre .demanded by a gruelling war of long duration. Success in war depends upon military preparedness, which, :'in turn,.is based upon organised military resources. Loyal men, physically .fit; and trained, properly provided with war ma-terials-and sustained by the moral.support of the nation and a continually replenished treasury, constitute the "only guarantee of victory and avoidance tvf national humiliation. 1 " .•;■;.

In many circles' there "is" a growing' fear that iii the.hour of tribulation Mr. Haldane will find that he has deluded himself by a vain hope (states- the,. "Military Mail," in a recent editorial article on the British voluntary system of enlistment, in the Territorial Army). He is never tired of pointing out the glorious advantages of an army existing on a purely voluntary basis. He started with this theme when lie first became Secretary of State for War, and .the experience of these last few'years appears to have deepened bis faith. Recently, he actually went the length of saying" our latest military organisation is so comprehensive that in the end it will. bo found that the people will bo reached as completely as they are by the great organisations of tho Continent—and that on a military basis. It is not our desire to discourage optimism, there is quite enough gloom in the world, but we do feel that' some credit should be given to i> military leader us.famous and experienced as Lord 1 Uoberts, who has. declared ' again and again that the day of voluntary effort is over.' And we must pay heed to tho attitude.of Lord Midleton (formerly Mr. St. John Brodrick),. whoso long work at the War Office has made him a convert to a scheme of national military service. These, and hundreds' of other eminent men, may be -wrong, and Mr. Haldane, may be right, but we sincerely-hope that' Air. .Haldane's optimism will not go too far, and land the country in disaster. It can never be forgotten that.our early reverses in the Boer War of 1899 were in a supreme degree due to the fatal habit of over self-estimation.'_. And it was the same with Eussia when she , met Japan. Better, far better would it be for Mr. Haldane to realise that' voluntary effort has many 'limitations. •' Those who are behind the scenes know that the Territorial Army—the hall mark of voluntary effort—is'still a long way from perfection, and they are unable.'to share the War Minister's cheery state of mind.